Goldenseal was an endangered species in the state of North Carolina due to over-harvesting. Listen to this radio program from 2010: Goldenseal and the state of North Carolina today.
It is no longer illegal to harvest goldenseal from the wild. The NC Ginseng & Goldenseal Company does not buy goldenseal harvested from the wild.
Goldenseal is a plant that has almost no natural predators except humankind. It is so bitter almost every creature avoids this wonderful plant. The same care and respect is shown to this plant as with it’s companion plant, ginseng. They both grow in the same natural habitat. Unlike ginseng, goldenseal can be grown close together because it is anti-fungal.
The Warning!
Unlike ginseng, which is a tonic and can be taken daily (with no known reasonable limits on dosage), goldenseal is to be taken internally only as needed. When taken, it should be in small amounts for a limited period, (about 10 days). Reports of damage to internal organs should stop humans from using this wonderful herb in large amounts. Rumors of its ability to have the user pass a urine test for employment are, to our knowledge, false, and the consequences could be life threatening. On the other hand, used topically in a poultice, goldenseal does not seem to have a toxic level.
Growing Goldenseal
Please see our page on growing ginseng and goldenseal.
Soil Mixture requirements
Links:
Steven Foster’s “Goldenseal Masking of Drug Test From Fiction to Fallacy: An Historical Anomaly,” www.stevenfoster.com
David Hoffman, Herbalist, www.snowmountainbotanicals.com/goldenseal_note.html
United Plant Savers, www.unitedplantsavers.org
Visit our online store to purchase goldenseal.