Ginseng is the most valued, revered and legendary medicinal plant. It is a herbaceous perennial herb, grown mainly for its root. The root is similar to a parsnip in texture and colour, although smaller and usually more branched. The plant stands about 10 to 20 inches high with 2 to 5 clusters of a group of 5 leaves and a spindly-shaped root. It takes 4 years to mature it into a useable product.