W. Scott Persons and Jeanine M. Davis

2008 Updated Edition
Paperback, 496 pages
Fully illustrated with color and black and white photographs
ISBN: 0-914875-42-6
$25.00

Rising interest in native herbs prompted full-time ginseng grower Dr. W. Scott Persons and horticulturalist Dr. Jeanine M. Davis to combine their expertise to create this practical guide to the cultivation of woodland botanicals. Expanded from Persons’ out-of-print book, American Ginseng: Green Gold, this thorough handbook is indispensable for both prospective and experienced woodland growers. Profiting from sustainable non-timber forest products is emphasized as an alternative to depleting wilderness resources. Illustrated with over two hundred photographs and numerous tables, it will appeal to those looking to turn a profit or to those merely interested in a horticultural challenge.

Covered in this book are recommended methods of growing and marketing ginseng, goldenseal, ramps, black cohosh, bethroot, bloodroot, blue cohosh, false unicorn, galax, mayapple, pinkroot, spikenard, wild ginger, wild indigo, and other native woodland medicinals. Plant botany and usage, best management practices, and present market conditions are addressed in detail. Personal stories of successful growers, extensive references and resources, and a unique disease list enhance this book.

"To discover a book with as much solid, researched advice on cultivation and marketing of botanicals is pure joy in an industry where most participants keep this knowledge as a trade secret. There are no two researchers who have as much experience with these crops, and any grower who wants to actually generate a profit from his land will benefit tremendously from reading it." — Maureen Rogers, Herb Growing & Marketing Network

"Jeanine and Scott have produced a grower’s guide worth its weight in "Green Gold."
— Richo Cech, author of Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs

"I have discussed the cultivation of North American woodland plants with both Jeanine and Scott for many years. This new book is a summary of all those conversations and more, with notes on the history and traditions of these plants and with information that ranges from soil conditions to harvest, and from control of critters to dealing with poachers."
— Michael McGuffin, American Herbal Products Association

W. Scott Persons, Ph.D.

Scott Persons has successfully grown American ginseng for twenty-five years. Born in Durham, North Carolina, he graduated from Duke University in 1967 with a B.A. degree in philosophy, and then went on to earn M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in educational psychology from Emory University. When marriage led him to settle on his wife’s homestead in Western North Carolina, Dr. Persons became fascinated with the valuable woodland herb that flourished there on the heavily forested hillsides.

Established in 1979, his business, Tuckasegee Valley Ginseng, has not only supported his family but also supplied planting stock (and often advice as well) to ginseng farmers all over the country — indeed, all over the world. His first book, American Ginseng: Green Gold, has helped woodland growers from Alberta to Tasmania.

Scott represented American woods growers at the International Ginseng Conference (IGC) in Vancouver in 1994, again at IGC 1999 in Hong Kong, and most recently at IGC 2003 in Melbourne. He also speaks frequently about ginseng at conferences in the United States. He was instrumental in getting ginseng farming started in Australia and now has a shared operation there. Dr. Persons has both extensive hands-on growing experience and a broad knowledge of the international world of ginseng.

Jeanine M. Davis, Ph.D.

Jeanine Davis was born in Oak Park, Illinois, and has lived both east and west of the Mississippi. She earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in horticulture from Washington State University. In 1998, Dr. Davis joined the faculty of the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University. Currently, she is an associate professor and extension specialist at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center near Asheville, North Carolina.

Jeanine serves as coordinator of the North Carolina Speciality Crops Program, a multi-agency, statewide program dedicated to the development of new crops for North Carolina farmers. Dr. Davis focuses her work on the conservation of native plants in the Appalachian Mountains and on helping farmers increase the profitability of their agricultural efforts in a region experiencing tremendous development pressure.

For seventeen years she has researched cultivation methods for native forest plants. She encourages market development, national and international communication, and education surrounding these native woodland plants. Jeanine participates in numerous horticultural organizations and has written many award-winning articles. Visit Jeanine's website at www.ncherb.org.

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