(1) The population dynamics of four natural populations of Panax quinquefolium were observed in southern Quebec, where the species reaches its northern limit of distribution in North America. P. quinquefolium is a rare forest perennial herb threatened by harvesting and habitat destruction. (2) Prior to demographic analysis by transition matrix models, a choice was made between age or size, considering fecundity and survival variables, for the state classification. Size, expressed in terms of number of leaves, was the most reliable state variable. (3) All populations possessed similar size-structure and flowering patterns. There was a net dominance of individuals of reproductive stages over non-reproductive individuals and annual mortality was higher for the smaller plants (69-92%) than for the larger ones $(