Eleuthero

Eleutherococcus senticosus

Araliaceae

The Siberian cousin of ginseng — a thorny adaptogen of cold woods, not the man-root on the other plate.

Cultivated root and stem bark as a tonic. Often sold as ‘Siberian ginseng’ — it is not Panax.

Parts used: Root · Stem bark
Traditional notes: Fatigue · Recovery · Traditional stamina tonic · Cold-weather folklore
Grow · USDA 6b: Shrub, USDA 3–8, woodland edge A nursery plant. Seed needs cold and patience. In work: Apr · May · Sep · Oct
Harvest: Root in autumn of year 4+ from a shrub you planted. Leave wild taiga stands.

Thorns are real. Gloves.
This is not Panax. Different plant, similar job-description.
Morning tonic. If it sparks you, it is not a nightcap.

Safety

Uncontrolled hypertension Acute feverish illness in some traditional systems Evening dose if it wakes you

Lore

Soviet sport scientists made ‘Siberian ginseng’ a Cold War export when Korean ginseng was dear. The plant had been cí wǔ jiā in Chinese medicine long before a lab in Moscow needed a substitute. The name still fools shoppers into thinking they bought Panax. They did not.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.