Botanical Library
American Ginseng
TCM tradition
🍄Image: American GinsengAdd an image URL to this ingredient in Admin to replace this placeholder.
At a glance
Where it's from
Native to hardwood forests of eastern North America.
Look & taste
A pale, forked root similar to Asian ginseng. Bittersweet, earthy
Signature compounds
Ginsenosides (a different profile from Asian ginseng).
Traditionally used for
In TCM, a cooling qi and yin tonic for heat, thirst and fatigue - the gentler, cooling cousin of Asian ginseng.
In Canada, we can say...
Used in Herbal Medicine as an adaptogen to help increase energy and resistance to stress and to help maintain a healthy immune system; as supportive therapy for healthy glucose levels; and traditionally to relieve nervousness. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, used for deficiency of qi and yin.
Did you know?
In TCM it is considered 'cooling,' where Asian ginseng is 'warming' - so it is favoured in warmer months.
History & natural history
Harvested and traded by Indigenous North Americans; became a major export to China in the 1700s.
What we're actually allowed to say
🇨🇦 Health Canada
✓ Permitted: Used in Herbal Medicine as an adaptogen to help increase energy and resistance to stress and to help maintain a healthy immune system; as supportive therapy for healthy glucose levels; and traditionally to relieve nervousness. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, used for deficiency of qi and yin.
How to use it
Capsules or tea, as directed.
Want this?
American Ginseng isn't in stock yet. Tell us you'd like it and we'll consider adding it.
Request American Ginseng →Side effects & safety
Check with a practitioner if pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, or taking blood thinners or digoxin.
A note on how to read this page. Traditional (TCM / Ayurveda) and holistic notes are cultural and historical context, offered for education — not medical advice or health claims. Health Canada's permitted claims reflect what regulators have assessed. Emerging research is early, and not a promise of results. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always talk to your (or your pet's) health professional before starting a supplement.