When people search for the "kratom tree," they usually want a plain answer to a few basic questions. What is the plant? Where does it grow? What part ends up in a package? This guide sticks to what government health agencies have published, with a link to each source.
It is a reference page, not medical advice, and it does not describe what kratom does for anyone. If you have a health question, ask a doctor.
Kratom tree at a glance
| Scientific name | Mitragyna speciosa |
| Plant type | Tropical tree (the CDC calls it a tropical evergreen) |
| Plant family | Coffee family, per NCCIH |
| Native to | Southeast Asia, per NIDA and the FDA |
| Found in | Thailand and neighboring countries, per NCCIH |
| Part used | Leaves |
| Best-studied compounds | Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine |
| Number of alkaloids | Over 50, per the FDA |
What kind of plant is it?
Kratom is the common name for Mitragyna speciosa. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) says the name refers to both the tree and to products made from its leaves that are marketed as herbal supplements.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) describes it as a tree in the coffee family, found in Thailand and neighboring countries. That detail surprises some readers: the same plant family includes the coffee plant, but kratom is a different plant with different compounds.
The FDA describes kratom as a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. A 2026 CDC report calls it a tropical evergreen tree. None of these agencies publish a full botanical description in their consumer pages, so for detailed growing or identification questions you would need a botanical reference rather than a health agency.
Which part of the tree is used?
The leaves. NIDA says kratom products are derived from the plant's leaves. According to NIDA, people typically swallow raw plant matter in capsule or powder form, mix kratom powder into food or drinks, brew the leaves as a tea, or take liquid kratom extract.
NCCIH adds that in Southeast Asia, people have traditionally chewed the leaves or made them into a tea. NIDA reports that anthropologists describe kratom as having been used in Southeast Asia for hundreds of years.
So the "kratom tree" you see mentioned online and the "kratom" you see sold in stores are linked by one thing: dried, ground leaf.
What is in the leaves?
The FDA says kratom contains over 50 alkaloids. Most scientific research focuses on two of them:
- Mitragynine, which NIDA calls the most well-studied compound. The FDA describes it as kratom's primary alkaloid.
- 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which the FDA describes as a naturally occurring alkaloid that is only a minor constituent, making up less than 2% of the total alkaloid content in natural kratom leaves.
NIDA also notes that mitragynine breaks down into 7-OH in the body when digested. Our guide to what mitragynine is covers the compounds in more detail.
Both compounds bind to mu-opioid receptors, the same receptors that opioid drugs act on, according to the FDA. That is why kratom is a subject of ongoing regulatory attention. Our article on whether kratom is an opioid goes through what the agencies say.
What the agencies say about safety and legality
Because the tree itself is not what most people buy, the official warnings are about the products:
- FDA: There are no FDA-approved uses for kratom. The agency states that kratom is not lawfully marketed as a dietary supplement and cannot be lawfully added to conventional foods, and it has warned the public about products contaminated with Salmonella or concerning levels of heavy metals.
- NCCIH: Heavy metals and disease-causing bacteria have been found in some kratom products.
- NIDA: Rare but serious effects have been reported in people who use kratom, and it advises that combining kratom with other substances may cause severe effects.
Legal status of the tree and its products differs by place. Kratom is not on the federal list of controlled substances, but a number of states and cities restrict or ban it. Our kratom laws by state guide links to the statutes we could verify.
How the leaves become products
Online sellers list dried leaf as powder, capsules, liquid shots and gummies. In the Panacea Natural catalog we compare on this site, the products are named by growing region and leaf style, such as Maeng Da, Bali, Borneo and Sumatra, and by vein color: red, green, white or yellow.
Those names are the seller's labels. Vein color on a product page is a marketing category, not something a health agency defines. Our kratom strain chart and red vs green vs white kratom guide explain how the labels are used.
If you want to compare leaf products, we list kratom powder by size and price, and Maeng Da kratom options in one place. In each case the key check is the same: a third-party lab report that matches the lot number on your package. Our kratom lab results page shows what is published.
Frequently asked questions
What is the scientific name of the kratom tree? Mitragyna speciosa.
Is the kratom tree related to coffee? Yes. NCCIH describes kratom as a tree in the coffee family. It is a different plant from the coffee plant.
Where does the kratom tree grow? NIDA and the FDA say it is native to Southeast Asia. NCCIH says it is found in Thailand and neighboring countries.
Which part of the tree is used in products? The leaves, according to NIDA and NCCIH.
Is kratom approved by the FDA? No. The FDA states there are no FDA-approved uses for kratom and that kratom is not lawfully marketed as a dietary supplement.
Sources: NIDA: Kratom · NCCIH: Kratom · FDA: FDA and Kratom · CDC MMWR: Increases in Kratom-Related Reports to Poison Centers, 2015 to 2025 · Panacea Natural product pages (checked October 2026).