American Ginseng — Panax quinquefolius L.

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)

American Ginseng is an uncommon herbaceous plant of rich forests. The leaves could easily be mistaken for those of Virginia Creeper, a common woody vine. The shape is a bit different, though: the leaflets of ginseng are broader and the lower two leaflets are smaller than the upper three.

Caswell Co., NC 5/30/10.

All photographs and text ©2013 by Will Cook unless otherwise noted.