On average, about how many goldenseal roots (dried) are there per pound?
It all depends on the age of the plant. Most 4-year roots are smaller, especially if grown via forest farming techniques. They might have as many as 50 roots per pound, to include the smaller sub-roots.
And, of course, each root has up to 30 sub-roots or secondary side roots.
This 50 roots per pound figure is the high-end value. It actually depends on who grew it, how old it is, and where it was grown. There are more fine-root situations than ginseng, but the two are very similar – yield and appearance. Goldenseal primary root is much smaller, usually up to 1/2-inch for a 4-year growth.
I rarely see a primary goldenseal root larger than one inch long and 1/4-inch wide. It does come larger, but usually from wildcraft.