| Root diggers are ready to trudge deep into West Virginia's hills and hollows and dig a little "sang."
Wild ginseng season opens Sept. 1 and runs through November 30th.
The much-in-demand herb grows in all 55 counties of West Virginia. In some years, nearly 5,000 are harvested for a total value of about two million dollars.
New federal rules almost put a crimp on local ginseng sales, but the problem has been abated, at least for now.
West Virginia Forester Richard Strickland says much of West Virginia's ginseng is exported, mostly to China.
The root is brewed in teas to cure digestive ailments and headaches, but more often it is used as an aphrodisiac.
No permit is needed to dig ginseng.
The age of a plant is determined by the number of prongs. Only those with three or more are ready to harvest. It takes about five years for a ginseng plant to mature.
West Virginia is one of the top locations for ginseng, which flourishes in moist, shady environments.
The harvesting has been going on in the Mountain State for at least 200 years.
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