WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST?
It seems that most of the American ginseng I find is located in the western Catskills. This has always perplexed me. The only thing I can come up with is that deer browse seems worse in the southern & eastern Catskills. Yes, deer do eat ginseng. Finally, I found this little ginseng growing nearby this ancient sugar maple. Both are cool to see and surely–in my mind–the “jewels” or “highlights” of the northern hardwood forest (i.e. maple, beech, yellow birch, hemlock, etc.). The photo of the ginseng is kind of blurry, and of the giant maple it doesn’t do it justice. This maple is quite old, perhaps more than 200 years old or more, but who knows.
Ryan Trapani
Director of Forest Services
Catskill Forest Association