The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has published its latest Tonnage Surveys of Select Botanicals Produced in North America, providing critical data on the production and harvest trends of key botanicals from 2018 to 2023.

Since 1997, AHPA has conducted these surveys to quantify the harvest of specific North American botanical raw materials, offering insight into industry trends, sustainability, and market dynamics.

Plant species for the survey were initially selected for inclusion based on their use in herbal products and their status as North American native species known to be wild harvested for at least some part of their market.

In 2021-2023, the survey was expanded to include additional botanical species that are predominantly non-North American native herbs known to be commercially cultivated in the U.S.

The most recent survey includes data collected from respondents reporting on a total of 126 botanical commodities representing 113 different plant species, with a focus on wild-harvested and cultivated materials. Additionally, total tonnage is now reported in dried weight only, including fresh weight conversions.

“We are deeply grateful for the continued contributions of our survey respondents over the years,” said Holly Chittum, MS, AHPA Project Scientist. “Their ongoing commitment, along with the expertise of our reviewers and our dedication to rigorous best practices in data collection, analysis, and reporting, ensures this survey remains a trusted and invaluable resource for understanding U.S. botanical consumption trends.”

Chittum prepared the tonnage survey in collaboration with Edward Fletcher, Chair of AHPA’s Botanical Raw Materials Committee; Steven Dentali, PhD, Board Member of the AHPA ERB Foundation; and Holly E. Johnson, PhD, AHPA’s Chief Science Officer.

Key findings from the 2018-2023 survey include:

• New data collected for U.S. cultivated materials shows the most significant values for aerial parts of catnip, peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, skullcap, and Echinacea purpurea root and aerial parts.

• The most significant values of cultivated certified organic harvests were reported for aerial parts of skullcap, peppermint, spearmint, and catnip, and Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia root and aerial parts.

• Highest volumes for wild harvested materials continue to include slippery elm bark, black walnut hulls, cascara sagrada bark, black cohosh root, goldenseal root, and black cherry bark.