What is a hybrid strain?
A hybrid strain is one you get by crossing two different cannabis strains, usually with both indica and sativa genetics. Today, almost all the strains on sale are hybrids.
Crossing two varieties is like blending the qualities of two families. Seed banks choose a father and a mother with traits they are interested in, for example one very aromatic and one very productive, and look for offspring that bring together the best of both.
After decades of crosses between strains from all over the world, pure indicas and sativas are now very rare. It's normal for a strain to have a bit of both.
That's why strains are usually described by the side they lean towards: indica-dominant, sativa-dominant or balanced, when they sit more or less halfway.
What the percentages on a product page mean
On many product pages you'll see something like "70% indica / 30% sativa". This is the proportion of each type of genetics given by the seed bank. It gives you a guide to two things:
- The type of plant: the more indica, the shorter and more compact it usually is, with shorter flowering. The more sativa, the taller, with longer flowering.
- The type of effect: the indica side is usually associated with a relaxing, more physical effect, and the sativa side with an uplifting, more mental one.
It's a guide, not an exact measurement. Within the same variety, some plants can turn out more like one parent and others more like the other. Those different versions of the same strain are called phenotypes.
What about autoflowers?
Autoflowers are hybrids too: on top of that, they carry genetics from ruderalis, a wild strain that gives them the ability to flower on their own. On their product pages you'll sometimes see that third percentage.
Related terms
Before you grow, check the laws in your country: growing cannabis is not allowed everywhere.
