Quinine comes from the bark of the cinchona tree. This tree is native to central and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean and western parts of Africa. People have consumed quinine in tonic water to help treat cases of malaria for centuries.

What plant did quinine come from?

Quinine, as a component of the bark of the cinchona (quina-quina) tree, was used to treat malaria from as early as the 1600s, when it was referred to as the "Jesuits' bark," "cardinal's bark," or "sacred bark." These names stem from its use in 1630 by Jesuit missionaries in South America, though a legend suggests ...

What is the best source of quinine?

Cinchona trees remain the only economically practical source of quinine.