Foraging & Collecting

Wild ginseng

You can harvest it only on private land with permission. It must be in season, the plant must be mature, and the seeds go back in the ground.

Where you can dig it

Private land only, with permission — never on MDC land. Harvesting is effectively prohibited across Missouri's state and federal public land too, so wild ginseng is really a private-land plant. No permission means theft and trespassing.

When you can harvest

Harvest season is Sept. 1 – Dec. 31.

Only mature plants

Harvest only plants with three or more true leaves ('prongs') — a ginseng plant doesn't make seeds until it's about 5 years old.

Keep the stalk and seeds attached

Keep the fruiting stalk and stem with the plant (it proves the plant was legally mature) until you're home or at your place of business.

Replant the seeds

Plant the seeds: squeeze them from the red fruits and plant them within 100 feet of the parent plant, about 6 inches apart and ½ inch deep, under leaf litter.

Permits & fees

What you need before you sell

Annual Harvest Permit

$20 residents / $150 nonresidents

Dealer Permit

$100 residents / $300 nonresidents

Root certification fee

$25

If you own the land

Landowners harvesting on their own land need no permit — but to sell, they need a no-cost Landowner Harvest Authorization Number, plus certification to sell to anyone who doesn't hold a Dealer Permit.

Cultivated and woods-grown ginseng, too

As of the current rules, harvest requirements apply to all ginseng, including cultivated and woods-grown.

Buying, selling, and shipping

Certified roots can be possessed, bought, sold, transported, and exported year-round. Wet (undried) ginseng can be sold or moved Sept. 1 – Mar. 15; dried ginseng, Sept. 15 – Mar. 15. An MDC agent's certification is required to ship ginseng out of state, or to hold roots between Mar. 15 and Sept. 1.

Why all the paperwork

The paperwork exists because American ginseng is listed under CITES — an international treaty that tracks trade in wild ginseng so it isn't over-harvested.

Before you gather

Official sources and current guidance

The item and the land manager decide what you may gather.

Last checked: 2026-06-18. Rules differ by land type and change over time — and eating a wild plant or mushroom is a health decision, not a website decision. When in doubt, ask the land manager, check a field guide, and don't eat anything you can't name with certainty.

This is a summary, not legal advice. Foraging and collecting rules change and depend on whose land you're on and what you're taking — confirm with the landowner or land manager before you gather. For a suspected poisoning, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911.

Heads up: Wild ginseng is private-land-only, with the owner's permission. It is not allowed on MDC conservation areas. Harvest is also effectively barred across Missouri's state and federal public land, so when in doubt, do not dig.

MDC — Wild Ginseng Harvest Regulations

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