# Rare Plant



## natureman (Apr 27, 2020)

Look what I found just emerged with 4-prongs




ginseng04 by Natureman29, on Flickr


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Apr 27, 2020)

Did it have any neighbors?


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## natureman (Apr 27, 2020)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> Did it have any neighbors?


You bet.  They don't get that old without having some offspring.


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## NCHillbilly (Apr 27, 2020)

A couple I took a picture of the other day while I was walking around-a four prong and a three prong, just unfolding:





It's not nearly as rare as they let on, I can usually find a plant or several in a few minutes in any decent spot.


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## natureman (Apr 27, 2020)

I have seen plenty of 3-prong but 4 is rare for me.  I am hoping to one day either grow a 5 or see one in the wild.


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## NCHillbilly (Apr 27, 2020)

natureman said:


> I have seen plenty of 3-prong but 4 is rare for me.  I am hoping to one day either grow a 5 or see one in the wild.


I've seen a handful of five-prongs over the years, but very few. I dug a patch years ago that had 38 four-prongs in that one little patch. Don't see it like that much.


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## Core Lokt (Apr 29, 2020)

What is it?


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## NCHillbilly (Apr 29, 2020)

Core Lokt said:


> What is it?


Ginseng.


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## oldguy (Apr 29, 2020)

NCHillbilly said:


> Ginseng.


'SANG


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## Core Lokt (Apr 29, 2020)

Sang of Gin!

What is the difference of the 4 and 3


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## NCHillbilly (Apr 29, 2020)

Core Lokt said:


> Sang of Gin!
> 
> What is the difference of the 4 and 3


Number of prongs.


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## Core Lokt (Apr 29, 2020)

What are prongs? The number of stems out of the ground or something else?


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Apr 29, 2020)

Core Lokt said:


> What are prongs? The number of stems out of the ground or something else?



There is one stalk that branches out at the top.  Very young plants generally fork into 2 branches, or prongs.  As they mature, they get 3 and sometimes 4.  I can only recall seeing one 5 prong.  As a general rule, the more prongs, the older the plant.  And the older the plant, the larger the root.  And the root is what you're after.


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## natureman (Apr 29, 2020)

More info. http://www.ahpa.org/portals/0/pdfs/Georgia.pdf


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## Doug B. (Apr 30, 2020)

I've seen a couple of 5 prongs, but the most impressive one I ever seen was a 4 prong that was waste high.


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## wvdawg (Apr 30, 2020)

Nice!  You gonna be on TV soon?  Big money there.


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## NCHillbilly (Apr 30, 2020)

wvdawg said:


> Nice!  You gonna be on TV soon?  Big money there.


Not nearly as big as they let on. I've dug sang all my life, Never got rich. The sang diggin' shows they had on tv were some of the most stupid, ridiculous, inaccurate stuff I've ever seen in my whole life. They were filmed here where I live. They are not even in the same universe as reality. It just does not work like that. At all, or even close to it.


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## wvdawg (Apr 30, 2020)

NCHillbilly said:


> Not nearly as big as they let on. I've dug sang all my life, Never got rich. The sang diggin' shows they had on tv were some of the most stupid, ridiculous, inaccurate stuff I've ever seen in my whole life. They were filmed here where I live. They are not even in the same universe as reality. It just does not work like that. At all, or even close to it.



Yep.  That is why I mentioned TV - that's where the money is - not selling roots!


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## Deer Fanatic (Apr 30, 2020)

So... for us flatlanders.... You obviously do something with the roots.. but if you dig it up to get the roots then... its gone


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## natureman (Apr 30, 2020)

Deer Fanatic said:


> So... for us flatlanders.... You obviously do something with the roots.. but if you dig it up to get the roots then... its gone



Mature plants which can be harvested almost always have their offspring scattered around them.  You leave the young ones to grow and harvest the older ones.


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## NCHillbilly (May 1, 2020)

natureman said:


> Mature plants which can be harvested almost always have their offspring scattered around them.  You leave the young ones to grow and harvest the older ones.


And wait until the berries are ripe before you dig, and replant them.

Unless you're a tribe of Mexicans. Then you just go through the woods and dig everything from three-leaf strawberries to the big ones, and take the berries and sell them,too.


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## oldguy (May 1, 2020)

Big Oriental market. Typical "Witch Doctor" hocus pocus.
Latest market quote from FFG magazine: Number 1 certified wild genseng moving at $500 - $600/lb.


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## natureman (May 1, 2020)

I don't grow to market.  I grow to keep the plant from disappearing due to over collection.  Who knows, one day the plant may prove to be a cure for some major disease.


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## NCHillbilly (May 1, 2020)

natureman said:


> I don't grow to market.  I grow to keep the plant from disappearing due to over collection.  Who knows, one day the plant may prove to be a cure for some major disease.


A bigger threat than over-collection here has been development of gated, ritzy yankee nests. A lot of hollers around here that used to be full of sang and ramps will never have any more.


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## nkbigdog (May 2, 2020)

I can no longer walk much and I hate, that living in the Mountains and I have never tasted the tea..I also hate that I can't get Morels anymore..


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## GAJoe (May 2, 2020)

Thanks for posting. A few years back I took the GA Master Naturalist classes. On our botany outing I overheard the class director and the guest instructor discussing this plant which I'm pretty sure was in our vicinity. But the guest instructor was saying that he wouldn't point it out again to a class. After one of his outings that he had pointed it out on the next trip it was all harvested. He was hoping it wasn't anyone in the class but wasn't going to risk it again.


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## natureman (May 12, 2020)

I found my first 7 leaf plant today. Wonder if its seeds will be likely to produce the same.  


P1111696 by Natureman29, on Flickr


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## NCHillbilly (May 12, 2020)

natureman said:


> I found my first 7 leaf plant today. Wonder if its seeds will be likely to produce the same.
> 
> 
> P1111696 by Natureman29, on Flickr


I don't know. I've had that happen a time or two with some that I've planted and fertilized the crap out of. But, there was one holler in a neighboring county where I used to commonly find seven-leaf plants, about half and half with the normal ones. I don't know if it was genetic there, or environmental.


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## natureman (May 12, 2020)

NCHillbilly said:


> I don't know. I've had that happen a time or two with some that I've planted and fertilized the crap out of. But, there was one holler in a neighboring county where I used to commonly find seven-leaf plants, about half and half with the normal ones. I don't know if it was genetic there, or environmental.


I think I am going to cover the seed head once it gets berries with some fine mesh to protect it from insects and other critters.  Saw this done by a well known grower.  Then I will plant them in a special place and in 10 or so years see what happens.


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## caughtinarut (May 14, 2020)

We do not have ginseng here in south GA but many people will go all on your property to get some saw palmetto berries


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## Anvil Head (May 16, 2020)

I've got a nice little laffin place up in NC with a good bit of 'sang. Got more trouble with locals than immigrants. Have several pokes and digger bars left in place due to hasty retreats. I don't suffer thieves very well.  Word got out that there was a crazy injun living up in that holler that doesn't speak much but is a dang good shot. Not had a "visitor" in quite a while.


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## oldguy (May 16, 2020)

"Laffin place", I like that !
Ain't no B-E-E-E-E-S in der, am it?


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