WHAT DO THE COLOURS OF CANNABIS INDICATE AND WHAT CAUSES THE COLOURING?

The magic of cannabis lies in the endless variety of different properties that the plant can offer. All types of cannabis have a certain shade of green, but anyone who has any experience with cannabis will have noticed that the plant often exhibits a range of other colours. Purple, pink, blue, red, orange, white and even black. Read on to find out what each colour reveals about the quality and genetics of the plant.

Why do cannabis buds have different colours?

The two main reasons why cannabis plants can have different colours are pigments and environmental factors. Pigment is a colouring substance that is completely or almost insoluble in water. They are the chemicals that give objects their colour.

The pigments contained in cannabis are as follows:

Chlorophyll:

Chlorophyll is found in almost every plant. Plants are green because of chlorophyll, which is an essential part of photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is also found in chloroplasts. Chloroplasts capture light, convert light energy and convert it into chemical energy.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are natural compounds produced by plants that are responsible for the production of a variety of colours. Flavonoids are yellow, blue, purple or red. They are also important for plant health because they help protect plants from UV rays and certain diseases.

Carotenoids

Carotenoids are the source of the red, orange, and yellow colors in plants and animals. They are found, for example, in carrots and are essential for the production of vitamin A. Carotenoids help plants absorb the sun's energy.

Environmental factors affecting the colour of cannabis include:

Lack of nutrients and water

Lack of nutrients or water can be the reason you see colours other than green on cannabis plants. The two nutrients on which plant hardiness and health depend are nitrogen and phosphorus. If a plant doesn't have enough nitrogen, its leaves can turn yellow.

Temperature

Thetemperature at which cannabis grows affects the production of chlorophyll. Cooler temperatures cause the chloroplasts to be less green because their production slows down.

The age of the plant

Although it doesn't affect the colour as much as other factors, the maturity of the plant does affect the colour of the pistils, which are the orange hairs you can find on mature buds. As harvest time approaches, the orange colour becomes more pronounced and red, pink and brown hues may appear.

The colours of cannabis

Green

Most plants, including cannabis, are predominantly green in colour due to the presence of chlorophyll. Plant tissue often contains so much chlorophyll that its green colour hides the presence of other colour pigments. In autumn, other colours begin to appear as chlorophyll production slows down. A similar phenomenon can be observed in deciduous trees when they change colour and drop their leaves.

Yellow and orange

Most plants produce some amount of carotenoids, but the green color of chlorophyll tends to mask the yellow and orange hues, especially early in the growth cycle. However, once the harvest season starts to break down, they begin to show more.

Varieties with orange or yellow flowers include Orange Bud.

Purple and blue

Anthocyanins without carotenoids produce blue and purple varieties of cannabis. When the cannabis plant is still relatively young, you probably won't notice the anthocyanins, but the blue and purple colours will appear when the plant reaches maturity. Lowering the temperature can help you achieve the optimum shade, as this activates the antifreeze properties of these compounds. Purple cannabis varieties such as Purple Kush are very popular. Cannabis varieties with blue coloured buds include Blue Dream and Blue Velvet.

Red and pink

When both carotenoids and anthocyanins are present, pink and red cannabis varieties are produced. As there are a large number of carotenoids and anthocyanins, these two pigments can combine with each other to produce different colours, the most common of which are red and pink. Red and pink varieties are relatively rare. These include Red Poison and Pink Panther.

Black

Black cannabis varieties come from cannabis with a high anthocyanin content, but are also affected by specific environmental changes. As the high-anthocyanin plant matures, its hue darkens and over time it begins to turn black. Manipulation of pH and temperature also helps cannabis buds to darken. These compounds are activated when temperatures drop and prevent the water in cannabis plants from freezing.

White

Cannabis buds are white because of the trichomes, which are tiny hairs growing out of the flowers. Trichomes are full of cannabinoids and terpenes. White cannabis is known for having less smell and taste compared to other varieties. White Widow is a variety prone to trichome coverage.

How to achieve the best colours?

Since you now have a better idea of what colors can appear on buds, you may want to learn more about how to manipulate these colors to your liking. You can influence the colors of cannabis:

Genetics

Varieties with the right genetics produce beautiful colours under specific conditions. You can either grow them in their targeted form for predictable but interesting results, or you can breed these varieties together for a whole new range of colours.

Temperature

Some cannabis varieties will only reveal their true colour when you set the night temperature a few degrees lower than the day temperature. Be careful not to lower it too much, as the plants could suffer a shock. Make sure it is still warm enough for the plant to thrive and reduce the temperature slowly and carefully.

pH levels

If you want to achieve beautiful purple buds, the last factor to consider is the pH level. Cannabis grows best in soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5.

If you want to create red and pink colour, keep the pH acidic (at the lower end of the above values). Yellow and blue colours are more likely to appear at high pH levels.

Are coloured cannabis varieties better than regular cannabis?

This depends on the genetics of the variety and how the colour is achieved. The shade of cannabis usually does not affect its potency. But if the plants are coloured differently due to nutrient deficiencies, they may not be as effective. If the plant is predisposed to exhibit different colour shades, and if you treat it correctly, there will be no correlation between colour and potency.

Colour is popular for its interesting and attractive appearance. Different colours of cannabis can give your garden an aesthetic and attractive look.