Hintonia latiflora is native to South and Central America, Mexico, and Guatemala . It grows there in arid regions as well as in tropical deciduous forests.

The Hintonia latiflora plant ("Copalchi") has been used as a tea beverage for over 100 years in its countries of origin (South and Central America, Mexico, and Guatemala), primarily for medicinal purposes. The bark of the Hintonia latiflora tea plant is peeled from the tree and crushed. It is important for sustainable harvesting that only enough bark is peeled from the Hintonia plant to allow for short-term regeneration, thus preventing damage to the entire tree.

Modern manufacturing methods now enable to gently concentrate the valuable ingredients, especially polyphenols.