For years, kratom buyers in Canada and around the world have been told that red kratom is a special, naturally growing strain with unique properties. Vendors have sold it as something separate from “green” or “white” kratom, often at different prices and with different promises.
The truth? Red kratom doesn’t grow naturally in the wild. It’s created through a post-harvest process, and the fact that so few vendors tell you this is the real problem.
At Kratom Online, we believe Canadians deserve clear, factual information about the products they buy. That means exposing myths like this one, and replacing marketing hype with transparency.
The myth of the “red vein strain” likely started as a mix of misunderstanding and sales strategy. Here’s how it works:
Vendors know customers look for variety.
They label certain batches as “red strain” and describe them as a naturally occurring, separate type of kratom tree.
The reality is, all kratom trees, whether in West Kalimantan, Thailand, or Malaysia, produce leaves that can be processed into red kratom. The “red” colour comes after harvest, not from the tree’s DNA.
By presenting red kratom as a “rare strain,” vendors could justify higher prices, create brand loyalty, and keep customers in the dark about where their products truly came from.
Red kratom isn’t a separate strain, it’s green kratom that has undergone a controlled fermentation process after harvest. Farmers gather mature green-vein leaves, seal them in airtight bags, and leave them in warm, humid conditions to ferment. This natural process darkens the leaf color to a reddish-brown and changes its aroma profile. Importantly, fermentation also alters the alkaloid balance, resulting in lower concentrations of mitragynine compared to unfermented green or white kratom.
The basic steps:
Harvesting – Leaves are picked at a chosen maturity stage (often older leaves).
Sorting – Damaged or unsuitable leaves are removed.
Fermentation – The leaves are placed in sealed bags or containers and left in the sun for several days, allowing natural fermentation to occur.
Drying – Once the fermentation is complete, leaves are dried fully — sometimes in the sun, sometimes indoors — before being ground into powder.
This fermentation turns the leaf a reddish-brown and gives it a distinctive, earthy aroma often compared to ripe fruit or caramel.
If you’ve been buying kratom under the assumption that red, green, and white are entirely different plants, you haven’t been getting the full story. And that matters because:
Transparency builds trust – You should know exactly how your kratom is made.
Sourcing affects quality – Proper fermentation requires clean, well-managed drying conditions. Poor handling can lead to contamination.
Legal compliance – In Canada, kratom cannot be marketed for ingestion. Responsible vendors will focus on origin, processing, and lab results, not exaggerated claims.
At Kratom Online, we refuse to sell you a story just to make a sale. If a product is fermented to become red, we say so. We visit our sourcing regions in places like Djongkong, West Kalimantan, to document every step, from harvest to final packaging.
We know our farmers, we’ve walked through their drying houses, and we’ve seen the exact conditions that produce the kratom we offer. No middlemen, no mystery, no false “strain” labels.
If a vendor claims red kratom “grows naturally” in the forest, that’s your cue to ask questions. Reliable suppliers will:
Explain the fermentation process clearly.
Offer batch-specific Certificates of Analysis.
Give real sourcing details, not vague “from Southeast Asia” statements.
When you understand where your kratom comes from, you’re not just a customer — you’re an informed buyer.
Red kratom isn’t a plant you can pluck off a tree. It’s a traditional, natural processing method that changes the leaf after harvest. The fact that so many vendors have marketed it as a separate strain is a sign of how little transparency exists in the kratom market.
At Kratom Online, we believe in replacing confusion with clarity. That’s why we’re upfront about how our kratom is grown, processed, and tested. Because honesty is worth more than any marketing trick.
Want to learn more about how we source and process kratom? Visit our sourcing story here.
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