Each leaf consists of five ovate leaflets which are about five to six inches long with serrated edges. The roots of the ginseng differ with the maturity of the plant. Mature roots are spindle-shaped, two to five inches long, and up to one inch thick. In plants over five years old, the root is usually forked. The roots have prominent circular ridges that are typical of ginseng roots growing wild, but conspicuously absent in roots grown under cultivation.
Mature seeds are about the size of small peas and are flat and wrinkled.
The ginseng herb is native to cool and shady hardwood forests from Quebec to Manitoba, southern to northern Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Wild ginseng has been harvested for many years and is cultivated commercially for its root, both in its natural range and in the Pacific Northwest. American ginseng shows variations in its roots. Western types usually have long, thin roots of undesirable quality. Plants from the northern part of the country, mainly Wisconsin and New York, are most desirable for export, furnishing roots of good size, weight, shape, and generally considered the best breeding stock.