A. Species
Scientific name: Hydrastis canadensis L.
Common name(s): Goldenseal
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status:
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Canada
Country/Region:
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: National Level
Name/Details of location: Canada
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2014
End Year: 2014
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Gathering/Cutting/Collecting terrestrial plants and fungi or their products from the wild
Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Medicine and hygiene
Motivation of use: Largescale commercial exploitation for trade
Is this use legal or illegal?: Illegal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: National / local government
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: "Export of wild goldenseal is considered detrimental. The CITES Scientific Authority cannot make a finding of non-detriment for wild goldenseal based on its: low abundance in a fragmented and restricted habitat, low regeneration potential, low dispersal efficiency, the lack of ecological factors required for population growth and spread, and continuing habitat destruction. Therefore, export of wild goldenseal from Canada is not permitted. The main threats to goldenseal are habitat loss and alteration, lack of ecological components required for population growth and expansion such as effective dispersal and regeneration, as well as appropriate levels of natural disturbance. Its increasing popularity as a natural health product/nutraceutical has heightened the risk for illegal harvest of this species. Goldenseal is listed as threatened at the federal level under the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA) and provincially on the Species at Risk in Ontario List (SARO). Of the known goldenseal populations in Ontario, 41% are found on federal lands or in Provincial Parks and are therefore protected by SARA and the Provincial Parks Act , respectively. No legal protection is offered on private property. This species has a wide range in North America; however, in Canada populations are small and restricted to deciduous woodland fragments in south-western Ontario. Abundance of goldenseal is low in Canada (only 28 small, isolated populations known), with most populations declining rapidly. The continuing loss of habitat and the increasing popularity of goldenseal as a nutraceutical pose a substantial risk to remaining Canadian goldenseal populations. Despite the increasing popularity of goldenseal in natural health products, the risk of illegal harvest and trade of wild goldenseal is considered moderate at this time. Due to their small size and fragmented distribution remaining populations would offer little or no profit on single or repeated collection. Population monitoring (currently involving members of both federal and provincial governments as well as private landowners) is ongoing and a goldenseal recovery team is currently under development."
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
Record source
Information about the record source: formal_data_stats
Date of publication/issue/production:
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2023-06-12