Almost every bag of kratom carries two labels: a vein color and a strain name. Vein color gets most of the attention — our vein color guide covers it. This guide is about the other half: the names. What does “Bali” or “Borneo” actually refer to, where do these names come from, and why can the same name mean different things from one brand to the next?
Three kinds of strain name
Most kratom strain names fall into one of three groups. Knowing which group a name belongs to tells you what it can — and can’t — promise.
- Place names — Borneo, Sumatra, Bali, Indo, Malay, Thai, Vietnam. These point to a region of Southeast Asia.
- Grade or style names — Maeng Da is the best-known example. These describe a grade or a style of leaf, not a place.
- Blends — Trainwreck and other named mixes, which combine several kinds of leaf in one product.
Where the place names point
- Borneo — the island shared by Indonesia (Kalimantan), Malaysia and Brunei. Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province is the center of the world’s kratom trade. See our Green Borneo and Red Borneo guides.
- Sumatra — one of Indonesia’s largest islands, west of Borneo. See the Red Sumatra guide.
- Bali — an Indonesian island, but “Bali” is better known in the trade as a style name for red kratom than as a growing region. Treat it as a label rather than an address. See the Red Bali guide.
- Indo — short for Indonesia. It’s the most literal place name on the shelf and also the least specific. See the Indo guide.
- Malay — Malaysia, where kratom (called ketum) grows natively but is controlled under the country’s Poisons Act 1952. Kratom sold as Malay is typically grown elsewhere in the region. See the Green Malay guide.
- Thai — Thailand, where kratom grows natively in the south. It was a controlled narcotic there for decades until 2021; exports now require a government license. See the Thai guide.
- Vietnam — a smaller producer; see the Yellow Vietnam guide.
Why one country dominates the map
Indonesia supplies the large majority of the kratom sold worldwide — industry estimates put its share above 90% — and most of it comes from West Kalimantan on Borneo. Since September 2024, Indonesia has regulated kratom exports under two Trade Ministry regulations (No. 20 and No. 21 of 2024): exporters must be registered, shipments need a surveyor’s report, and only finely milled powder may leave the country.
That matters for reading labels. When most of the world’s kratom comes from one country, many place names end up describing a style or a tradition rather than a separate country of origin. A name tells you what kind of product the maker is offering; it doesn’t always tell you where that particular batch grew. Our piece on what single-origin means goes further into this.
Grade names: Maeng Da and “Premium”
Maeng Da is a Thai term used in the kratom trade as a grade name. It describes a grade of leaf, not a place, and it’s sold in red, green and white versions. Our Maeng Da guide covers all three.
Words like “Premium” or “Super” work the same way: they’re the maker’s own grade labels, and what they mean is set by that brand. Whole Herbs Premium Indo, for example, is Whole Herbs’ name for one of its Indo products.
Blends: Trainwreck
Trainwreck is openly a blend — several kinds of leaf combined in one product — and there’s no single recipe. The Trainwreck guide explains how blends work and how to evaluate one.
How names and colors combine
A full kratom label usually reads color plus name: Red Bali, Green Malay, White Indo, Yellow Vietnam. The color is the maker’s label for how the leaf was harvested and processed; the name is a place, a grade or a blend. Neither half is standardized in the U.S. — there’s no official definition of “Green Malay” — so two products with the same name from two makers can differ.
How to compare two products with the same name
- Check the maker. The same strain name from a different brand is a different product.
- Check the format. Leaf powder, leaf capsules and extracts are different kinds of product even under one name. Our label-reading guide helps here.
- Read what the maker says about origin. Some brands name a region; many don’t. If it isn’t stated, don’t assume the strain name answers the question.
- Match the lot code to a lab report where one is available. See how to read a kratom COA.
Our strain guides
- Maeng Da — plus Red, Green and White Maeng Da
- Red Bali
- Green Borneo and Red Borneo
- Green Malay
- Thai
- Indo
- Red Sumatra
- Yellow Vietnam
- Trainwreck
Frequently asked questions
What are the main types of kratom?
Kratom is usually described by two labels: a vein color (red, green, white or yellow) and a strain name. The common strain names are Maeng Da, Bali, Borneo, Malay, Thai, Indo, Sumatra and Vietnam, plus blends such as Trainwreck. Products also come in different formats — leaf powder, capsules and extracts.
Is Bali kratom actually from Bali?
Usually not in any literal sense. “Bali” is best understood as a trade name for a style of red kratom. If a maker states where its leaf was grown, that statement — not the name — is what tells you the origin.
Does the strain name tell me where my kratom grew?
Not reliably. Most kratom in the global market comes from Indonesia, so many place names describe a style or tradition. Check the listing and the maker’s own information for origin details.
Are kratom strain names regulated?
No. There’s no official U.S. standard for what “Maeng Da,” “Green Malay” or any other strain name must contain. Names are set by the brands, which is why comparing the maker, format and lab report matters more than the name alone.
Follow the package directions and talk with a healthcare professional before using kratom if you take medication or have a medical condition. Sold to adults 21+ where kratom is legal.