The dried roots are used for many medicinal purposes, especially for eye, skin, and digestive disorders. It is commonly available in health food stores as a tea, powder, or in capsule form. Goldenseal is a naive perennial and occurs over the same range and under the same wooded conditions as ginseng. The cultural requirements for Goldenseal are the same as for ginseng and it is often grown under the same wooded conditions or shade structure. Goldenseal is an excellent crop to follow ginseng since a second crop of ginseng usually cannot be grown economically on the same land.
Goldenseal plants emerge in early spring from buds on perennial rootstocks.
Flowering occurs in late April or May, and red fruits develop in July or August. The fruit resembles a large red raspberry and contains 10 to 25 seed. The plant dies slowly after the fruits ripen. Goldenseal is propagated by seed, rhizome divisions, or rootlet cuttings. Collected fruits should be mashed lightly and fermented in water for several days to facilitate separating the pulp from the seed.