Program History

The Georgia ginseng harvest season is from September 1 through December 31.

Export of American Ginseng is regulated under The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The export of Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) from Georgia is authorized by this federal authority in combination with the Georgia Ginseng Protection Act of 1979, as amended in 2013.

In order to have a legal ginseng trade in Georgia, the USFWS requires Georgia to maintain a Ginseng Management Program that ensures compliance with federal and state regulations. The objective is to prevent American Ginseng from becoming endangered due to trade.

The Wildlife Conservation Section administers the Georgia Ginseng Management Program, which monitors the size of the legal ginseng economy. Staff work with ginseng dealers, growers and the Wildlife Resources Division's Game Management and Law Enforcement Sections to make ginseng regulation a transparent process.

• Information for Georgia ginseng diggers, dealers, and growers

Ginseng Harvest Regulations

The Georgia Legal Code Concerning Ginseng

Ginseng Harvest Season in Georgia is September 1–December 31. Harvesting of ginseng is not allowed on state lands. Harvesting of ginseng on federal lands is allowed with a permit in some US Forest Service Districts. For more information or to obtain a permit, please visit the USFS Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Ginseng Page.

Stewardship of Wild & Cultivated Ginseng

• American Herbal Products Association brochure: "Good Stewardship Harvesting of Wild American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)" for Georgia
• Medicinal Herb Production Guide for American Ginseng
• Video on How to Steward your Ginseng Population

Registered Ginseng Dealer Lists

• Registered Ginseng Dealer List

Federal Information on American Ginseng & International Export

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service American Ginseng page
• International Export of American Ginseng

Other Ginseng Links

• Wild American Ginseng: Review article by Roger C. Anderson, M. Rebecca Anderson and Gregory Houseman, in Native Plants Journal, Fall 2002.
• American Herbal Products Association
• Horticulture information leaflets from North Carolina State University

More Information on Georgia's Ginseng Management Program

Please contact Lisa Kruse or Trina Morris, Ginseng Management Program coordinators: GADNRGinseng@dnr.ga.gov.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Conservation Section
Georgia Ginseng Management Program
2065 U.S. Highway 278 S.E.
Social Circle, GA 30025-4743
Phone: 706-557-3213
Fax: 706-557-3580