How Kratom is Made

Kratom trees are native to the warm, humid climates of Southeast Asia. Kratom grows in Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, and New Guinea. But most kratom shipped to the United States is produced in Indonesia.

Kratom trees are grown on plantations in Indonesia. The trees take about three years to mature before the leaves produce significant amounts of mitragynine, the main alkaloid in kratom that produces its effects. 

Workers harvest mature kratom leaves mostly by hand. The leaves are then laid out to dry by various methods, either outdoors in the sun or indoors in air conditioned rooms possibly using ultraviolet lighting. The drying process, rather than the color of the vein, produces the different colors of the various varieties of kratom on the market. For example, a light green tinged kratom product can come from a plant with red veined leaves.

The dried kratom leaves are then put through mills that crush it into a fine powder. These are then bagged and shipped to vendors in other parts of the world.