You know that beautiful purple bud that you sometimes see in the Instagram feed? Want to know what is the explanation for this magical phenomenon? Come with us: we will explain in this post!
A subject widely commented on in the cannabis world – mainly by those curious growers is purple cannabis. Does it really exist? Where does it come from? Why does it get that way? Ah, there are many questions. And we want to answer all of them here!
Many images circulate around the famous Purple Haze and it’s beautiful and mesmerizing purple buds. But it is worth saying, Purple Haze is not the only purple strain, there are some other varieties more likely to develop this beautiful coloration and also some weather conditions that play an important role in purple buds.
Do you want to explore this wonderful world of colorful cannabis? Come with us, we’ll explain everything about it!
What makes it purple?
Not sure if everyone remembers, but we already had a similar conversation a while ago. Many people came to Instagram to ask us what made our hash water very purple, as if it were wine. And the answer to this amazing phenomenon is in an substance called anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is a pigment, and is part of the famous group of flavonoids (the one that makes wine healthy drink, when taken in moderation), and carries with it an enormous importance for our organism.
Do-Si-Dos (Pyramid Seeds) has it’s leaves purple due to induced stress in the final stage of flowering
Flavonoids have nothing to do with flavor. The word, in fact, has Greek origin, and is related to the yellow color.
Anthocyanins are found in countless vegetables, fruits and even flowers – and the expression of this colors, purple, super purple, bluish and even black coloring depends on the pH.
But what do you mean, yellow, if we’re talking about something purple?
Flavonoids have the power to transform the colors of plants in which it is present. The anthocyanin brings shades tinted to the cyan (from blue to almost black). When the plant enters “autumn mode”, like mapple, it reaches a reddish color, and mixes both types of pigmentation. Blue + red = purple. And then we see the result that we love so much!
Okay, and how do I make it turn purple?
There are many myths around this issue! I know that sometimes we growers want to play “God”, but trying to wake up a trait in a plant that does not have the genetic predisposition for it will just be a stressor. That is why:
Generally Purple genetics will present a purple bud and green leaves
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Do not use dyes in your plant at all. Besides being able to decrease its health, you can decrease yours. Some dyes that we see on the market can be carcinogenic, and we do not want to smoke that right?
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The secret is the right genetics. There are types of cannabis that contain more anthocyanins, which leads to the possibility of developing purple colors
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It is not by depriving your plant of oxygen, carbon dioxide or other substances that it will turn purple. The most you will get is a dry brown, due to the loss of health of your cannabis.
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More experienced growers do not recommend that you add cold water or decrease the amount of light in your herb to achieve something close to the desired effect. This will just express your plan.
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Lower temperatures contribute to the development of purple color in plants that already have this predisposition. If you have indoor cultivation, turn on the air conditioning at the end of the cycle and watch the magic happen!
Strains for those who want a purple cannabis plant:
What does anthocyanin do for health?
As already mentioned in the text quoted above, anthocyanin has therapeutic properties in the fight against free radicals, acting as antioxidants. It can also help decrease inflammation associated with chronic pain, fight tumors and chronic degenerative diseases – like Alzheimer’s, prevent memory loss and even diseases like glaucoma.
Other types of anthocyanin plants are: blueberries, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, black plums, grapes, açaí and even our favorite plant: cannabis!
So, have a meal full of these super nutritious foods to enjoy the antioxidant effects!
What does anthocyanin do in cannabis flowers?
All purple!! This outdoor plant has it’s leaves and buds with a dark purple coloring
Thinking about agriculture, the main reason why flowers have such beautiful colors is pollination. That is, the purple color works as a beautiful outfit that we put on that date with our crush – the flower also wants to attract the attention of pollinating bees with its beauty. This makes a lot of sense in outdoor cultivation! Magical, isn’t it?
And the effects?
There is no evidence that purple cannabis will give you anything different just because it is purple. Everything has to do with the strain, its profile of cannabinoids and terpenes. As for anthocyanin, it can be better used if you make edibles with the plant. Smoking will not preserve its qualities – but you can get similar health benefits through strains with more CBD.
Now, you already know how to have those beautiful purple buds near you. And, as we know how difficult it is to find seeds from different strains around here, don’t despair: enjoying high quality cannabis, even if it is not purple, can be just as or more cool. After all, we have to be grateful for what we have, right?