Siberian wild Rhodiola rosea root extract
CITES-permitted wild Altai rhodiola root extract — a rare adaptogen now under international trade protection.
| Origin | Important compliance flag: Rhodiola rosea (and the broader Rhodiola genus) was added to CITES Appendix II in November 2022 (effective 2023), reflecting well-documented population declines from unsustainable wild harvest across its range, including the Altai region — this is a confirmed, currently-in-force CITES listing, not merely a proposal. Any 'wild-harvested' claim must be backed by valid CITES export/import permits, and buyers should be aware that some suppliers are shifting toward cultivated or biotechnology-derived (tissue-culture) Rhodiola supply specifically because of this listing and ongoing wild-population conservation concern. |
| Indian subcontinent | No |
| Category | Global Wellness & Functional Ingredients |
| Retail price band | $$$$ (indicative $150–$350/kg for standardized extract, reflecting post-CITES-listing supply tightening) |
| Bulk / trade price band | Pricing and availability increasingly constrained by CITES permit issuance; cultivated/biotech-derived alternatives priced separately and generally lower |
| Sourcing status | Dossier researched from public sources — producer contact not yet established |
| Compliance status | Preliminary review complete (see below) — not yet legally verified |
Detailed study
Rhodiola rosea ('golden root' or 'arctic root') is a cold-climate succulent perennial whose root is used in traditional Siberian, Scandinavian and broader circumpolar herbal medicine as an adaptogen, with modern research interest in compounds such as salidroside and rosavins for stress-resilience and fatigue-related outcomes, though clinical evidence quality varies across studies.
Provenance & producer
The Altai Mountains region of southern Siberia is one of Rhodiola rosea's historic wild-harvest heartlands, alongside parts of Scandinavia, the Tibetan Plateau and North America; traditional wild harvest involves digging mature roots from remote alpine/subalpine terrain, a slow-growing plant that takes years to reach a harvestable size, making wild populations especially vulnerable to overharvest.
Market & pricing
Global demand for Rhodiola rosea has grown substantially in the adaptogen and stress-support supplement category across North America, Europe and Asia; the 2022 CITES Appendix II listing has begun reshaping the supply chain, pushing some manufacturers toward cultivated Rhodiola (grown commercially in parts of Europe and North America) or emerging biotechnology-based salidroside production as lower-risk, more scalable alternatives to wild Siberian root.
Compliance & export
Rhodiola (genus-wide, including R. rosea) is CITES Appendix II-listed as of the 2022 CoP19 decision (entered into force 2023), requiring CITES export permits from Russian authorities and corresponding import documentation for any international trade in wild-sourced material; buyers must verify valid CITES paperwork accompanies any 'wild-harvested' shipment, and should factor tightening wild supply and rising verification requirements into sourcing plans.
Sources
- Rhodiola rosea: Adjusting to life as an endangered species — NutraIngredients
- Extinction threats and CITES protection: Rhodiola as a case study — Herbal Reality
- Trade in all types of Rhodiola plants to be regulated — NutritionInsight
Image status
A working reference photograph is in place, captured from a freely-licensed Wikimedia Commons source (File:Rhodiola rosea a2.jpg). Candidate identified in prior batch-3 research for a related rhodiola product; verify licence and re-confirm applicability to this Siberian-origin listing before use. Treat this as a placeholder for marketing purposes: exact licence terms should be re-verified on the Commons file page, and original producer photography is recommended before final trade use.