Special feature from the Smithsonian's Sidedoor podcast: "King of the Herbs"
About this episode
This episode explores the elusive wild American ginseng and the various parties interested in its survival and conservation.
While Plant People is between seasons, we have a special episode, "King of the Herbs", from our friends at the Smithsonian's Sidedoor podcast: It’s a wild herb that countless cultures have used for centuries as a wonder drug to cure any ailment. It's so rare and valuable that it’s been dug to extinction nearly everywhere, except a small area of the United States. This time on Sidedoor , we go searching for the elusive wild American ginseng—and find that scientists, conservationists, and criminals are also on the hunt.
Topics covered
- herbs
- conservation
- ginseng
- wild plants
- cultural significance
- endangered species
Keywords
- ginseng
- herbs
- conservation
- endangered
- wild plants
- Smithsonian
- cultural use
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Smithsonian
Products: wild American ginseng
Places: United States
More episodes of Plant People
- Cacao with Professor Pathmanathan Umaharan
- Pawpaws with Anya Stansell
- Pitcher Plants with Dr. Rob Naczi
- Ghost Orchid with Dr. Melissa Abdo
- The American Chestnut with Michael Goergen
- Turkey Tail Fungi with Eugenia Bone
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