More people digging for ginseng - WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports

MADISON (WKOW) -- Police say more and more people are combing the woods of the upper Mississippi River and other areas for the increasingly rare ginseng plant, as prices for the wild ginseng root are reaching as high as $500 per pound.

The root is coveted for its medicinal properties, especially in Asian markets.

But police say that rising price has also brought out a new breed of ginseng digger looking for a quick buck, eschewing harvesting permits and ripping up immature ginseng before it can produce seeds.

Some in the industry fear this could jeopardize the plant's long-term future.

This past summer, a grand jury charged an Ohio man with shooting and killing someone he suspected of stealing ginseng from his land.