Types of Ginseng

There are three main species of ginseng. Oriental ginseng (panax ginseng) is grown in both China and Korea. In Korea it is called red panax. During the processing it turns red. White Oriental ginseng occurs because the root is allowed to dry naturally. Siberian ginseng (eleutherococcus stenticocus) is a distant cousin to panax ginseng. It is also known as the santa root and is native to East Asia, China, Japan, and Russia. American ginseng is a member of the ivy family and grew wild. It takes the root approximately five years to reach harvesting maturity.

Each type of ginseng possesses different qualities and healing properties. We will cover each type and its healing uses as this series continues.