Skunk strains are a family of cannabis that is named for their strong, pungent scent that is reminiscent of the smell produced by a skunk.
Originating in the 1970s, Skunk strains have become some of the most influential and widely recognized in the world of cannabis due to their potency, distinctive aroma, and robust growth characteristics.
The original Skunk #1, a hybrid that was crafted using genetics from Afghani, Mexican, and Colombian strains, set the stage for many of the Skunk strains we see today. Skunk #1 is renowned for its balanced mind and body effects, thanks to its roughly even mix of Sativa and Indica genetics.
Over the years, various breeders have used Skunk #1 to develop a multitude of new strains, resulting in the vast "Skunk family" of cannabis. These strains often retain the strong aroma and balanced effects of their progenitor, but they may also introduce new flavors or effects depending on their other parent strains.
In this article, we'll look at 10 of the best Skunk strains to grow and consume.
10 Best Skunk Strains To Grow
1. Super Skunk Auto
A long-standing favorite in Dutch coffee shops, Super Skunk Autoflower is a classic that's influenced countless modern hybrids. This easy-to-grow, no-fuss strain offers a rich, balanced high that's perfect for both novice and advanced growers.
Super Skunk Auto's manageable height, which maxes out between 90-130cm, is ideal for indoor cultivation, though it truly flourishes under sunny skies. Expect quick harvests and large yields - up to 450g per m2 indoors and 100g per plant outdoors. Its even growth and stunning flower structure make it a visual treat in any garden.
This Indica-dominant hybrid delivers a uniquely balanced high. It starts with a euphoric rush, enhancing sociability, followed by a deeply relaxing body stone. Ideal for easing muscle tension and promoting restful sleep, the main side effects are mild - just dry mouth and eyes.
Super Skunk Auto's aromatic profile is a delightful mix of sweet fruit flavors, with notes of lemon and tangerine. The taste deepens to an earthy, cheesy aftertaste, adding to its popularity. Derived from a specially selected Afghan hash plant - the progenitor of original Skunk genetics - and crossed with a reliable ruderalis, Super Skunk Auto is an old-school classic that continues to impress.
2. Cheese
Cheese, known for its aroma that echoes its namesake, has become an international sensation, particularly in the Netherlands and the UK. These original Cheese seeds, a High Times Cannabis Cup winner, yield a plant with high mold resistance and versatility, thriving in indoor or outdoor environments.
Growing Cheese feminized seeds, perfect for moderately experienced growers, offers a delightfully uplifting and euphoric high. The bushy plant, characterized by its intense smell during flowering, grows tall outdoors but remains compact indoors, averaging 70-100cm. Outdoors, the Cheese stretches to a max of 140cm. Its yield is impressive, with THC levels around 18%, and indoor yields reach 550-650g per m², while outdoors it can produce 700-800g per plant.
The Cheese strain provides a gentle yet potent effect, stimulating the brain while relaxing the body. Its heavy body stone offers long-lasting relief from chronic pains and can assist with insomnia and appetite stimulation post-chemotherapy. Notably, side effects include red, dry eyes, and dry mouth, and high doses can induce anxiety, paranoia, and dizziness.
Cheese offers a unique tasting experience, blending a spicy and pungent flavor with earthy undertones. Its taste, much like a good cheese, is more enticing than its strong aroma suggests. Originating in the late 1980s from a cross between Skunk #1 and Afghani, this hybrid delivers high yields, trichome-rich buds, and a distinct, slightly tart cheese aroma. Its popularity surged after UK growers in 1988 optimized the plant to control its robust smell.
3. Jack Herer
Renowned for its stability and excellent results with minimal grower effort, the plant version of Jack Herer is a cherished strain. Combining the best of Sativa (55%) and Indica (45%), this feminized seed has won nine Cannabis Cup medals, a testament to its popularity among growers in the USA, Canada, and the UK.
Jack Herer feminized seeds are known for their sizable buds, intricate flavor, and significant therapeutic potential. This plant thrives indoors and outdoors, producing massive buds that require branch support. While it demands a hearty nutrient supply, it rewards growers with remarkable yields in optimal conditions. Preferring warm, dry climates, it's an excellent choice for discrete outdoor cultivation due to its subtle aroma pre-harvest.
Flowering time for Jack Herer is 60-70 days when grown indoors. It maintains a compact stature, reaching 90-130 cm indoors and 130-180 cm outdoors. Indoors, yields can hit 500-600 grams per m², while outdoors it can produce 600-700 grams per plant.
Jack Herer offers a heavy, lingering smoke that is perfect for leisurely sessions. It provides a delightful balance of a full-bodied stone and cerebral high, ideal for daytime use to enhance mood and relaxation. Despite its low CBD levels (0.8%), it's highly effective for stress, anxiety, depression, pain, fatigue, migraines, and appetite stimulation. The side effects include potential dehydration, particularly in the mouth and eyes.
Its taste and aroma are complex, often presenting Indica earthiness and skunk undertones mingled with sweet, fruity, and lemony notes of Sativa. The strain may also evoke sweet, sandalwood-like nuances or pine forest smells. Named after the renowned activist and author, Jack Herer, originating from the Netherlands in the mid-1990s, has been a bestseller and reliable medicinal-grade variety in Dutch coffee shops.
4. Sour Diesel
Originating from Super Skunk and Chemdawg 91 in sunny California in the 1990s, Sour Diesel, also known as Sour D, is now one of the most esteemed hybrid genetics in the cannabis market.
The Sour Diesel feminized seeds grow into large plants that flourish in warm, dry climates with low humidity. While these plants can be grown indoors or in a greenhouse, they are susceptible to mildew, so maintaining a clean, sterile environment is crucial. Given their potential for substantial growth, indoor growers must ensure ample space and can control plant height via pruning, pot size, or training methods such as "Scrogging". For maximum yield, it's recommended to grow Sour Diesel under high-intensity lights.
The Sour Diesel strain has a relatively short flowering time for a predominantly Sativa strain, between 63 and 70 days. The plants can reach between 120 cm and 160 cm when grown indoors and between 160 cm and 300 cm when grown outdoors. The plant can yield up to 600 grams per plant outdoors and 400-500 grams per m^2 indoors under ideal conditions.
Sour Diesel is highly popular among recreational users for its mood-enhancing and energy-boosting effects. It delivers a potent, long-lasting euphoria, making it an excellent daytime or early evening choice. It's also highly social, with minimal paranoia-inducing effects. Furthermore, Sour Diesel offers medicinal benefits, including alleviating depression, pain, and stress.
5. Green Crack
Green Crack, despite a somewhat controversial name, is a celebrated strain, particularly popular in Australia and Colorado (USA). This Afghan X Skunk #1 cross, alternatively known as Green Cush, reputedly received its name from Snoop Dogg himself, signifying its potent Sativa effects. Its Afghani and Skunk ancestry endows Green Crack with significant growth and potency, solid buds, good yields, and a long-lasting high.
The Green Crack Sativa seeds grow into a medium to large plant with a solid, open structure, relatively large distance between the nodes, and long, thin light-green leaves. It grows vigorously, and indoor growth should be controlled to ensure sufficient space during flowering. It yields a generous production of large, heavy, resinous buds concentrated on the central stem and all secondary branches.
This feminized strain thrives in greenhouses, indoors or outdoors. It can quickly grow into a tall plant reaching 100-200 cm with a September flowering time. It has a very high THC content of 25%.
Green Crack has a quick flowering cycle of just 8 to 9 weeks. Notably, it emits a powerful smell during the flowering phase, so indoor growers may need to take precautions. The plant's Indica genetics (40%) make it suitable for indoor cultivation as it doesn't grow excessively tall. Outdoors, under the right conditions, it can grow significantly. Indoors, it won't exceed 200 cm, but outdoors it can reach heights of up to 3.5 meters!
Green Crack's impressive yields partly explain its popularity. Indoor growers can expect 500 to 600 grams per m², while outdoor yields can range from a substantial 800 to 1200 grams per plant.
A Cannabis Cup winner and a legendary American strain, Green Crack delivers a quintessential Sativa high — uplifting, happy, energizing, and creative. It's well suited for medicinal use, providing an invigorating cerebral high while relaxing the body, enabling users to focus on their tasks. It can alleviate various medical conditions, including pain and anxiety.
6. Island Sweet Skunk
Island Sweet Skunk is a delightful treat for skunk strain enthusiasts, combining the legendary Skunk #1's robust structure and unique aroma with uplifting Sativa effects.
This Canadian-born beauty offers an invigorating high that sparks creativity, matched by a tropical citrus flavor that lingers enticingly. Its skunky, sweet, and spicy scent is a testament to its lineage.
With an impressive yield of up to 700 grams per plant outdoors, it's also a great choice for cultivators. Despite its Sativa dominance, its growth is manageable, making it an ideal pick for growers at all experience levels.
Overall, Island Sweet Skunk is a well-rounded skunk strain that delivers on all fronts.
7. Super Silver Haze
Super Silver Haze, a Sativa-dominant hybrid from Amsterdam, is now a beloved choice in the USA and UK for its cerebral, long-lasting high.
With an impressive genetic blend of Haze, Skunk, and Northern Lights, this strain boasts high THC content and generous yields, making it an ideal skunk strain. It has a unique flavor profile of uplifting lemon, sandalwood, and spice, with a sweet, earthy aroma. Its medicinal benefits are laudable, offering relief from exhaustion, stress, and more.
While it demands an experienced grower, the effort is rewarded with silver-white crystalline buds, reflecting its name and superior quality.
8. Banana Kush
Banana Kush, a strain originating from sunny California, stands out as an awesome skunk strain. As a hybrid born from the notable Skunk Haze and Ghost OG, it brings a potent mix of Indica and Sativa, leaning slightly more towards Indica at a 60/40 split. This genetic composition allows for a well-balanced high that caters to both recreational and medicinal users.
The strain's aroma is captivating, offering a delightful medley of ripe bananas and earthy Kush notes. Complementing its olfactory appeal, Banana Kush's flavor profile doesn't disappoint, boasting sweet fruity flavors reminiscent of ripe bananas and tropical tree fruit.
When it comes to cultivation, Banana Kush seeds are quite hardy and resistant to mold, mildew, and pests, making it an excellent choice for both experienced growers and novices. Its flexibility to grow in different environments, including indoors, outdoors, or in greenhouses, is a testament to its versatility.
Its effects are as appealing as its growth characteristics. Banana Kush provides a long-lasting, mellow buzz that perfectly balances relaxation and euphoria. The soothing Indica properties help ease physical discomforts, while the uplifting Sativa influences induce a cerebral buzz, making it perfect for social settings or for those seeking relief from conditions like PTSD and fibromyalgia.
Although Banana Kush is a potent strain, its side effects are generally manageable, which is a significant plus for users who are sensitive to high-THC strains. Hydration and moisturizing drops can easily mitigate dry mouth and eyes, making it a rather user-friendly strain.
9. Big Bud
Big Bud is a globally-loved, Indica-dominant strain known for its high yield potential and relaxing high, with THC levels of up to 22%. Its large, crystal-covered buds provide a sweet, earthy Skunk aroma and flavor, and it has a relatively short flowering time.
Big Bud is ideal for beginners and those looking for a robust plant. The plant has a high resistance to mold and pests and a manageable height. It prefers a temperate to sunny, warm climate, and indoors, it can be grown year-round. It responds well to super cropping and lollipopping, and its large buds center around the main stem, simplifying harvesting.
Big Bud's flowering time is relatively short, only 49 to 63 days (7-9 weeks). Outdoors, the harvest usually occurs between mid-and late October.
Indoors, Big Bud reaches a height of about 100 to 150 cm. Outdoors, the plants can reach between 150 and 300 cm.
Big Bud offers a high yield potential. Indoors, plants can yield a maximum of 400-600 grams per m², while outdoors, this can reach up to 800 grams per plant!
Big Bud's strong Indica genetics create incredibly relaxing effects, with a touch of happy euphoria due to its 20% Sativa content. The effects include sensations of sleepiness, leaving you feeling happy, stoned, and utterly relaxed.
10. Critical
Critical is a popular strain, mostly Indica (60%), resulting from a cross between Big Bud x Skunk #1. Despite its compact size, this strain offers substantial yields, making it a versatile choice for cannabis enthusiasts of all types.
Critical feminized seeds contain all the necessary properties to produce a good yield. The Critical plant's Indica-dominant genetics reflect in its compact size, staying under 1 meter tall, with narrow, dark green leaves and short internodal spaces that eventually fill with buds. Its short stature makes it well-suited for discreet or space-constrained cultivation. It can be grown both indoors and outdoors, although it's slightly more susceptible to bud rot, mildew, and fungi than other strains.
Maintenance of this strain is relatively straightforward, making it a good choice for beginners. Key considerations include proper ventilation and maintaining appropriate humidity levels.
The strain has a brief flowering period of just 8 - 9 weeks, allowing growers to enjoy a plentiful yield in less time than it might take to consume the previous harvest!
Critical feminized seeds grow into compact and stable plants with average indoor heights between 50 cm to 80 cm. Outdoors, the plants can reach heights of 100 cm to a maximum of 200 cm.
Despite its small size, Critical can yield a maximum of 600 grams per m² indoors in a SOG set up. Under ideal outdoor conditions, the yield can reach an impressive 1300 grams per plant.
Critical also offers potent effects, providing a relaxing body sensation that spurs creativity and mental stimulation.