Source: ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES, 3/22/17

 In the rugged hills of Watauga County, there grows a highly sought-after medicinal plant that can fetch more than $1,000 per pound on the black market. It's become a prime target for poachers and a potential cash crop for growers. Ginseng, the medicinal and knobby root prized in Eastern medicine and American-made energy drinks, is taking root in Western North Carolina, planted by farmers looking to tap into what's becoming a growing market.

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