Kratom Plant: Everything you Need to Know
May 28, 2021
If you use kratom, you may already have wondered where this popular herbal supplement comes from. The answer is quite simple: it comes from the kratom plant.
The powder that kratom users know and love is made by drying and crushing the kratom tree leaves. Scientists see this tree as Mitragyna speciosa, a relative of the standard coffee tree. It’s native to Southeast Asia but can be cultivated in other areas of the world. Kratom trees have particular soil, water, and climate requirements.
If you’re interested in growing a kratom tree or curious about where kratom comes from, there’s a lot to learn. Let’s get started.
What is a Kratom Plant?
Kratom plants are tropical evergreen trees that can grow up to 100 feet tall in their native soils. If you live in a tropical climate, you may be able to plant a Mitragyna speciosa tree in your back yard. In addition to producing the leaves used to manufacture kratom, they also make fantastic ornamental trees.
If you live in sub-tropical climates, it will be harder to grow a mitragyna speciosa tree. Their tropical origin means these trees do not take well to the cold. You can grow kratom trees in containers like house plants, but you’ll have to prune them frequently to keep them healthy.
Kratom Plant Care
Suppose you’ve managed to germinate a kratom seed or get a cutting to take root. First off, congratulations. That’s quite a feat even for experienced horticulturalists. Now, you’ll have to shift your focus to making sure your tree gets all the water, nutrients, and light it needs to thrive.
Most kratom plants for sale are in the very earliest stages of their lives. They’re typically less than six inches tall and often don’t have any fully formed leaves. Don’t be put off. With the right care, your young mitragyna speciosa tree could still grow into a beautiful, healthy specimen.
Soil pH
Whether you opt to grow your plant in a pot or your backyard, you need to check the soil pH. Kratom trees grow best in soil with a pH level between 5.5 and 6.5. More acidic or basic conditions can cause problems with nutrient absorption.
You can change the pH by using specialized horticultural products or organic amendments like wood ash and lime. Make sure you invest in a good pH test kit since you’ll have to check the soil acidity frequently as you make alterations.
Natural and Artificial Light
Kratom plants need a ton of light. This high light requirement can make growing them indoors in containers a challenge, especially in Northern climates. Place your tree next to a window or beneath a skylight. If your growing season is short, consider investing in an LED grow light for the winter months.
Relative Humidity
Since the Mitragyna speciosa tree is native to the tropics, it thrives in humid conditions. If you grow your tree indoors, you may need to invest in a humidifier, especially for the winter months. Winter tends to bring dry air, which can leave your kratom plant in lousy shape.
Temperature Range
The ideal temperature range for kratom trees is between 70 and 90oF. This temperature requirement can cause some problems for indoor horticulturalists since few modern Americans relish the idea of living with constant 90o temperatures. You may want to set up an enclosed greenhouse or glow room for your kratom tree so that you can both be comfortable. Never let the temps drop below 50o.
Optimal Nutrients
Kratom trees need a lot of nutrients. You can use liquid plant food, traditional fertilizer, or organic soil amendments. Just make sure they’re optimized for trees, not vegetables or flowers.
Kratom Plant Effects
Every strain of kratom produces different effects. You’ll have to wait a few years before you can start harvesting leaves either way, but choose the right strains now. While harvesting the leaves at different points in the plant’s growth cycle can also impact kratom’s effects, you’ll still be stuck with the plant.
All subspecies of kratom trees have similar growing requirements. That means it’s strictly up to you what type of tree you buy. Keep in mind that if you live in the United States, your options may be limited. It’s truly an impressive feat to cultivate the plant, to begin with, let alone transport it overseas.
Depending on the type of kratom tree you buy, you may experience these effects upon ingesting the leaves:
- Euphoria
- Stimulation
- Sedation
- Relaxation
- Feelings of calmness
- Sociability
- And other desirable effects
Currently, researchers believe that the tree’s active alkaloids are responsible for these effects. The most common of them are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, but researchers have also identified dozens of other alkaloids. These active compounds bind to receptors in your brain to produce varied effects.
Laboratory and clinical research into the kratom plant and its active compounds are ongoing. This lack of scientific research makes it difficult to make accurate generalizations about its effects. If you want to hear about them straight from the horse’s mouth, you can see what kratom users have to say on Erowid. Just keep in mind that you should still take these anecdotal accounts with a grain of salt.
Where Can you Find Kratom Plants for Sale?
Chances are, your local kratom shop doesn’t carry live plants. If they do, you’re in luck. Like most plants, kratom trees tend to experience less transplant shock if you don’t need to transport them over long distances. Even if your options are limited, buying seedlings from a local vendor is the way to go.
If you don’t have a local supplier, you can find kratom trees for sale online. They tend to be expensive, and you won’t have any guarantee of quality, but if you’re committed, go for it. The worst thing that can happen is that the tree won’t grow.
In a best-case scenario, you may be able to find someone local who cultivates Mitragyna speciosa trees. They are popular with both kratom enthusiasts and ornamental gardeners. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to take a ton of cuttings to get even one to root correctly.
Kratom Plant Seeds for Sale
Mitragyna speciosa trees are challenging to propagate. Don’t be fooled by offers of kratom seeds or cuttings. Very few of them grow into healthy, mature trees, especially in less-than-ideal climate conditions.
To germinate successfully, kratom seeds must be fresh. Even in Southeast Asia, where the tree is native, farmers plant many kratom seeds to get one viable plant. Cuttings are just as challenging since they’re prone to bacterial and fungal diseases. If you want to grow a kratom tree, your best bet is to buy a fully rooted plant.
Click the link, Kratom Seeds, to learn more about what to look for or how to grow kratom seeds.
Is the Kratom Plant Legal in the US?
On the federal level, kratom remains legal in the United States. However, some places are illegal on the state or town level to possess, use, or cultivate kratom.
Kratom use, possession, and cultivation are illegal in:
- Alabama
- Indiana
- Wisconsin
- Vermont
- Rhode Island
- Arkansas
- And individual cities in other states
In some of these places, only the alkaloids in kratom are considered controlled substances. Unfortunately, that doesn’t do residents much good. Since the trees’ leaves contain those alkaloids, the trees themselves are also banned.
If you live someplace where the state or municipal authorities have placed a ban on kratom, don’t try to buy the plants. You may wind up in a world of legal trouble. It just isn’t worth the risk.
Can you Buy a Kratom Plant on Amazon?
As of this writing, you cannot buy live kratom plants on Amazon. You’ll have to go through a specialized online vendor or find someone local who cultivates the trees.
Where to Buy Kratom Powder Online?
Not interested in putting in years of effort to create your home-made kratom? That’s understandable. You can buy kratom powder, capsules, extracts, and more online at Kratom Krush. We offer competitive prices on high-quality, lab-tested products and carry a wide variety of strains. If you don’t see what you need online, get in touch, and we’ll try to help.