[3] In Vietnam, P. vietnamensis is found primarily in the Mount Ngọc Linh area of Kon Tum and Quảng Nam provinces, from which its local name is derived.

Its habitat is areas under jungle leaf canopy or near running water, at altitudes above 1,200 metres (4,000 ft).

[5] False ginseng[clarification needed] seeds have been introduced to the Mount Ngọc Linh area in an attempt to be grown and sold as P. vietnamensis.

The project, delayed for many years, has recently cultivated large numbers of Ngọc Linh ginseng plants for sale to a local pharmaceutical company.

[4][5] In Kon Tum province, a conservation centre was established in 2004 to grow and preserve the plant.