Kratom is harvested from the leaves of mitragyna speciosa, a tree native to regions of Southeast Asia. Although Kratom is natural, its journey from plant to product is often lengthy, cross-continental, and involves numerous production and processing techniques.
If produced with consideration and care, the result is a wholly unique botanical substance with remarkable properties.
Kratom Growing: The Traits & Characteristics of the Mitragyna Speciosa Tree
High in the humid tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, the mitragyna speciosa tree stands tall, its trunk often reaching a height of 80 feet or more. But despite mitragyna speciosa’s bold, impressive stature, it’s the tree’s large, glossy-green leaves that have intrigued and fascinated locals for hundreds of years.
As an evergreen tree, mitragyna speciosa’s thick leaves persist year-round, although matured leaves will shed and grow anew with time. These fallen leaves, cast aside by the tree during its cycles of growth, have been coveted for centuries.
Although the Kratom tree grows natively across countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, local Kratom farmers also plant their own Kratom trees in open areas where sunlight and rich soil are plentiful.
Growing Kratom outside the tree’s indigenous region of Southeast Asia is possible, although purportedly difficult. Mitragyna speciosa thrives in hot, humid climates and is intolerant to colder temperatures and frost, making large-scale cultivation outside of its native region challenging. As a result, the majority of the world’s Kratom supply is sourced from Southeast Asia, where Indonesia and Thailand are the largest producers.
Harvest & The Variety of Maturation
Kratom leaves can vary greatly in size, coloration, and potency. The sheer variability of leaf characteristics has lead to a diverse marketplace of Kratom variants, or “strains”, which are most commonly classified as red, white, and green.
Contrary to what some believe, Kratom coloration isn’t pre-determined. Instead, the leaves of the mitragyna speciosa plant change color in response to a number of factors, including genetics, maturity, and the amount of sunlight received during the Kratom growing process.
The main vein of each Kratom leaf, or stem, is another subject of variability. Some sources have reported that Kratom veins actually cycle through colors over time, turning from red, to green, to yellow, and then to brown.
Upon reaching an ideal maturity, the leaves of the mitragyna speciosa tree are picked by Kratom farmers at their discretion. Aside from cosmetic differences, the time of harvest also directly affects the overall alkaloid composition and concentration of Kratom leaves. Kratom’s alkaloids – which are naturally occurring botanical compounds – are chiefly responsible for the plant’s intriguing properties.
Processing: Refinement, Drying, and Grinding
Once the Kratom growing process has concluded and the leaves have been picked and collected, most farmers clean them in running water to remove dirt, dust, and debris. This is a crucial step, as once the leaves are ground into a fine powder, identifying any trace of contamination is difficult without lab testing.
At this point, Kratom farmers hang the leaves on large racks, where they’re dried either inside or in the sun. During this drying phase, the differences between Kratom leaves begin to develop further. The resulting alkaloid makeup of the leaves in question is dependent on the amount of time spent in sunlight after the Kratom is grown.
Some Kratom strains are byproducts of extended or alternative drying processes. For example, Bentuangie Kratom is produced using a fermentation method that results in a distinctively strong aroma and a unique alkaloid concentration. Other strains, such as Indo White Vein, contain higher amounts of mitragynine and lower amounts of 7-hydroxymitragynine, two of Kratom’s primary alkaloids.
After the drying phase has concluded to the satisfaction of the Kratom farmer in question, the leaves are ground in large quantities using industrial grinders, producing the signature fine-grain Kratom powder that most customers are familiar with.
The Final Step of Kratom Growing: Post-processing and Packaging
During this phase of post-production, different Kratom products begin to take form. Vendors encapsulate, press, extract, and otherwise remold their Kratom into various products, including:
- Kratom Capsules: accurately quantified Kratom powder in convenient, pre-formed capsules
- Kratom Extracts: concentrated Kratom powders created by processes of boiling and evaporation
Although Kratom powder is the most popular and widely available form of Kratom, capsules and extracts provide customers with alternative ways to purchase their favorite strains and discover new ones.
At this point in the Kratom growth process, most Kratom products are complete. From here, the products are tightly sealed and packaged to preserve their potency and purity. Because Kratom is an organic substance, it can degrade with time and is susceptible to airborne contamination, making this step especially crucial.
As of 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require American Kratom vendors to adhere to certain standards of production, which can place customers at risk. However, some Kratom vendors take quality assurance a step further and submit their
Kratom products for lab testing and/or independent verification to ensure that they are suitable for sale.
Kratom Spot: Your Source for Premium-Grade Kratom
Hopefully, this thorough exploration of the Kratom growing process has conveyed that premium-grade Kratom is a product of meticulous attention-to-detail.
From cultivation to processing and packaging, quality Kratom is the result of deep-rooted passion and world-class expertise. The process is built upon time-honored traditions and the cross-continental collaboration of various cultures and talents – and we’d love to share the fruits of our labor with you.
At Kratom Spot, we carry a variety of all-natural, ethically-sourced Kratom products that are free of additives and filler ingredients. All of our products are independently verified for quality and potency, and we pride ourselves in providing our customers with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Shop with us today and get same-day shipping on all purchases made before 3 PM EST, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).