A field experiment was conducted to examine the growth of one and two year old American ginseng (Panax guinguefolium L.) in the arid interior of British Columbia, Canada. For both years of plants, early season growth was characterized by rapid stem and leaf dry matter production. Root growth commenced in early June and continued until early September. One year old roots had a dry weight of 0.1 to 0.2g at the end of the growing season. The two years old roots commenced the growing season at 0.Is and increased in dry matter by a factor of ten-fold. Dry to fresh weight ratios for both years were similar for root, leaf and stem samples at the end of the growing season. Leaf area index for both years showed similarities in progression over the growing season. As a consequence of the effectiveness of the microclimate modification employed to permit American ginseng cultivation (elevated shade cloth and surface mulch), plant growth and development was extremely good. This indicates the potential for the cultivation of American ginseng in dryland environments.