Kratom guides
Plain facts about kratom: the plant, the vein colours, strain names, lab testing, storage and how to compare prices when buying in bulk.
What is kratom? The plant, the powder and the names
Kratom is the leaf of Mitragyna speciosa, a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family (Rubiaceae) that grows wild and cultivated across Southeast Asia. Sold in Europe, it is almost always the dried leaf milled into a fine green powder.
Read the guide →Kratom vein colours explained: green, white, red and yellow
Green, white, red and yellow kratom all come from the same plant, Mitragyna speciosa. The colour names refer to the colour of the leaf’s central vein at harvest and, just as much, to how the leaf is dried afterwards. They are trade categories, not different species.
Read the guide →Maeng Da, Bali, Borneo, Sumatra: what kratom strain names mean
Kratom "strain" names are trade names, not botanical varieties: all kratom is the single species Mitragyna speciosa. Most names point to a region of origin (Borneo, Sumatra, Malay, Hulu), a trading hub (Bali) or a selected grade (Maeng Da).
Read the guide →Buying kratom in bulk: how to compare prices and shops
To compare kratom prices, convert everything to price per gram or per kilo, including shipping. Buying by the kilo is usually several times cheaper per gram than small retail bags. Before paying, check for a batch-specific lab report, the stated origin, the mill fineness and how the powder is sealed.
Read the guide →Kratom lab testing: what a certificate of analysis should show
A kratom certificate of analysis should show three groups of results for one specific batch: alkaloid content (mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine), heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic) and microbiology (such as Salmonella, E. coli, yeast and mould). It should carry a batch number, the laboratory name, the test method and a date.
Read the guide →How to store kratom powder so a kilo keeps
Store kratom powder airtight, in the dark, cool and dry. Keep the sealed kilo bag closed and decant a smaller working portion into an opaque, airtight container, so the bulk of the powder is exposed to air, light and humidity as little as possible.
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