Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a succulent native to the arid regions of South Africa. This guide covers how the plant is grown, how it is sourced across the industry, and how we source ours.
Cultivation
Propagation
Growers propagate kanna from seed or from cuttings. Seeds are soaked in water for a few days, with daily water changes, then planted in a fast-draining medium like a cactus mix. Mature plants root readily from cuttings, which is the quicker route.
Soil, Light, And Water
Kanna wants fast-draining soil with low organic matter, full sun, and little water. Overwatering is the common failure — the soil should dry out between waterings.
Growth Cycle
Kanna grows actively for three to five months during the cooler, wetter part of the year, then goes dormant for the rest. The dormancy is long and the active growth is fast.
Sourcing Across The Industry
Kanna was traditionally wild-harvested. Rising demand has pushed most commercial supply to farms in South Africa, which takes pressure off wild populations and makes consistent material possible.
Sceletium falls under South Africa's Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing (BABS) regulations, which exist because kanna's use rests on the traditional knowledge of the Khoi and San peoples. Ethical sourcing means permits, benefit sharing, and growing practices that do not deplete the land.
Our Sourcing
Our kanna comes from growers cultivating high-alkaloid strains — total alkaloids of 1.7% or higher, the product of more than 20 years of selection by our supply partners. It is grown under netted canopy in natural air and sunlight, without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and tended by the “kanna moms” who see each cycle through.
3% of everything we spend on Sceletium goes to Khoi communities through our own benefit sharing agreement, alongside the BABS permitting and agreements our growers hold.
The full detail is on our sourcing standards page. What happens to the plant after harvest is covered in A Guide To Kanna Extraction.
Common Questions
Can I grow kanna at home?
Yes, as a succulent. It wants full sun, a fast-draining cactus mix, and infrequent watering, and it will sit dormant for much of the year. Growing a plant and producing material with a known alkaloid content are different problems — alkaloid levels in home-grown kanna vary with soil, climate, and harvest timing, and there is no way to know them without a laboratory.
Is your kanna organic?
No. Organic is a regulated certification term, and we do not hold that certification for our kanna. It is grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and every lot is screened for pesticide residue, which is the part that can be evidenced.
What does BABS mean for a customer?
South Africa's Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing regulations require permits and benefit-sharing agreements for commercial use of indigenous biological resources tied to traditional knowledge. Our growers hold that permitting and those agreements. We additionally hold a direct benefit-sharing agreement with Khoi communities, allocating 3% of all Sceletium purchases.
Does where it is grown change what I feel?
Indirectly. Growing conditions and genetics set the alkaloid content of the raw plant, and the extraction process then concentrates it to a stated figure and a set profile. The number on the label is what determines the serving — How To Choose A Kanna Extract covers reading it.
†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
