Purple buds are nature’s way of showing us that cannabis is colourful, too. But what is it exactly in these particular strains that make them purple, and can they be recreated in the garden? Read this article to find out what characteristic makes strains purple and how you can grow your own purple buds.
Purple bud has long been a coveted type of cannabis among smokers. Purple weed is usually associated with being a stronger, more potent weed, and therefore is well-desired in the cannabis community. For others, having their hands on purple weed is just an easy way to impress friends, and means more fun colours to add to the cannabis experience. Whichever reason it is that purple cannaibs is so sought after, there is a lot more to the purple colour of cannabis than just a colourful tint.
In fact, there are certain growing conditions in which cannabis strains are more likely to turn purple. In order for a cannabis plant to successfully turn purple, it also must contain certain chemicals that are not necessarily present in other strains of cannabis in high amount. And this is why other strains do not turn green, even with the presence of colour-changing chemicals. There are even ways that you can encourage your weed to turn purple, if purple buds are what you would like to harvest next season.
Strains high in anthocaynin
The secret to the beautiful purple colour that happens on some cannabis strains is a chemical called anthocaynin. Strains that come out purple are doing so because of a high volume of this chemical, otherwise not present in other strains of cannabis. Anthocaynin is the same thing that makes eggplants and blueberries purple, and so it is also present in a lot of fruits and vegetables. It has the quality of turning things purple, as well as other properties that are very good for the body.
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Chlorophyll is the chemical that gives weed and most plants their beautiful green colour, and is usually a dominant pigment when there are other chemicals present. However, in the correct climates, the chlorophyll begins to break down, and when large amounts of anthocaynin are present, the leaves begin to turn purple. In fact, this breakdown of chlorophyll occurs in all cannabis plants, but in most cases the leaves begin to turn yellow or brown, and in some cases blue. In strains high in anthocaynin, the leaves and buds begin to turn purple. This means that the buds do not in fact turn purple until a couple of weeks before they are due to be harvested.
Creating the right environment for purple bud
Of course, the trick to having purple bud is beginning with strains that are high in the chemical anthocaynin. There are some strains for which seeds can be purchased that are naturally high in anthocaynin. This means that not too much work is required on the grower’s part to make the bud actually turn purple. However, there are some things that growers can do during the life cycle of their cannabis plant to encourage the purple colour to be more vibrant.
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Some strains that are already high in anthocaynin include Haze Berry, Blueberry Kush, Bluematic, and Northern Lights Automatic. It is important to choose a strain that contains the natural properties for turning purple before harvest, because it’s highly unlikely that those lacking in anthocaynin will turn purple.
Once a grower has chosen a strain that is high in the purple-creating pigment, changing conditions during the flowering stage can assist the pigment to come out stronger. This usually occurs in the fall months when the weed is growing outdoors because of cooler temperatures experienced in the night-time. So if you are growing outdoors, nature will look after this for you, as long as you can match up the flowering stage to the fall months. If you are growing indoors, you can turn the temperature down slightly during the night cycle in the flowering stage. It should be below 10 degrees centigrade, and the buds should begin to turn purple just a couple of weeks before harvest!
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Benefits of anthocaynin
Well, a pretty purple bud is very interesting to look at, but does it offer the user something other than its beautiful colour? Purple weed is usually sought after because it is generally stronger than other strains of cannabis, but is that necessarily true? The colour of the strain does not actually contribute to the strength of it, but the presence of anthocaynin can offer the user some medicinal properties.
Anthocaynin is an excellent antioxidant that appears in a lot of other foods, including other purple ones such as blackberries. If the amount of anthocaynin present in a strain of cannabis is extremely high, it’s possible that the user might receive some of the antioxidants in anthocaynin, probably when ingested orally.
