American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a species of flowering plant in the ivy family Araliaceae.

The specific epithet quinquefolius means "five-leaved", which refers to the typical number of leaflets per leaf.

Panax quinquefolius is sometimes confused with wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis), another member of the ivy family (Araliaceae).

[9] M1 is referred to in some articles as IH-901,[10] and in others as compound-K.[9] Panax quinquefolius was described as Aureliana canadensis by the French ethnologist and naturalist Joseph-François Lafitau in 1718.

[13][14] In his search for a specimen, Father Lafitau enlisted the help of the Iroquois by showing them a published botanical illustration of gin-seng,[15] a Chinese name for a plant now known as Panax ginseng.

[17] Catesby published a striking color illustration of a live specimen transplanted from Pennsylvania to the garden of English botanist Peter Collinson in Peckham.

[21] The specific epithet quinquefolius means "five-leaved",[22] which refers to the typical number of leaflets per leaf.

The genus name "Panax" is derived from the Greek 'Panakos' (panacea), in reference to the various benefits attributed to the herb.

[25][26][27][28] It is found primarily in the Appalachian and Ozark mountains of the United States where it prefers full shade environments in deciduous hardwood forests.

[2][29] It is introduced and cultivated in the following Chinese provinces: Guizhou, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, and Liaoning.

[37] CITES Appendix II includes species that, although currently not threatened with global extinction, may become so without trade controls.

During this period, the bulk of exports came from southern Appalachian states including Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

Of these, eastern Kentucky has consistently large harvests, apparently a result of habitat abundance, very high levels of rural poverty, and a very strong local tradition of ginseng collecting.

[40] American ginseng also grows wild in a number of states that do not permit export, including Connecticut (S2), Delaware (S2), Kansas (S1), Maine (S3), Massachusetts (S3), Michigan (S2S3), Nebraska (S1), New Hampshire (S2), New Jersey (S2), Oklahoma (S1), Rhode Island (S1), and South Carolina (S4).

In addition to (or in lieu of) the NatureServe conservation status (in parentheses below), some states designate their own conservation status: Panax quinquefolius is apparently secure (S4) in New York and Pennsylvania (as shown above), as well as Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.

[62] Today the greatest threat to American ginseng is irresponsible digging of its wild roots for export.

In 1887, the tinsmith George Stanton planted ginseng in the forest around Apulia Station, a hamlet in the town of Fabius in Onondaga County, New York.

Some states encourage the planting of ginseng both to restore natural habitats and to remove pressure from remaining wild populations.

Recent studies have shown that through the many cultivated procedures that American ginseng is grown, fungal molds, pesticides, and various metals and residues have contaminated the crop.

Though these contaminating effects are not considerably substantial, they do pose health concerns that could lead to neurological problems, intoxication, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

[78][32][35] A number of the uses cited in the literature were likely adopted from the Chinese after the export trade from Canada to China began in 1720.

[79] The Menominee in northern Wisconsin used it as a tonic and to increase one's mental capability,[80] while the Penobscot in Maine used it to promote fertility.

In the late 19th century, the Cherokee sold large quantities of ginseng to traders for fifty cents a pound.

The makers of Cold-fX were criticized for making health claims about the product that have never been tested or verified scientifically.

Health Canada's review of the scientific literature confirmed that this is not a claim that the manufacturer is entitled to make.