The global ginseng market, including Panax ginseng (Asian ginseng), Panax quinquefolium L. (American ginseng) and Panax notoginseng (Sanqi ginseng), was estimated to be worth over 2000 million US Dollars. Although these three ginseng species have very close phylogenetic relationships, interestingly, their biological functions and therapeutic uses are quite different. Unlike Asian ginseng and American ginseng, the root of P. notoginseng, named Sanqi or Tienchi in Chinese, can only be cultivated in a highly specific mountainous area constituting about 8300 hectares in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, and thus is less well known worldwide. Nevertheless, Sanqi ginseng is very popular in China and is commonly used in foods and pharmaceutical products for management of trauma and ischaemic cardiovascular health problems. A recent biomedical research on Sanqi ginseng provides a strong scientific rationale supporting the historical uses of Sanqi ginseng in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the discovery of a family of major bioactive ingredients, named ginsenosides, present in these ginseng species which have diverse biological activities, provides insight into why these ginsengs exhibit very different therapeutic effects. However, long-term domestic cultivation has rendered Sanqi ginseng highly vulnerable to diseases and pathogen infections. The issue of ensuring a sustainable supply of Sanqi ginseng and preserving this unique medicinal plant urgently requires our attention.