Top 5 Purple Weed Strains

Purple weed is treated with a degree of reverence that new cannabis users often chalk up to mere fanboy campiness. Anyone who has sampled their fair share of purple weed strains, however, knows there’s something unique about the “purp” that adds a whole new layer to the cannabis experience.

Strains of cannabis with that telltale purple tint are just as popular today as they ever were before. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the top 5 purple weed strains you can smoke these days, and then we’ll answer any questions about purple weed you may have.

#1) Granddaddy Purple (Indica)

Also known as Granddaddy Purp, Granddaddy Purps, or just GDP, cannabis connoisseurs consider Grandaddy Purple to be the be-all, end-all of purple strains. Other purple nugs may have their own benefits, but GDP is the cultivar to reach for when you want to impress guests or just bask in the glow of perfected purple cannabis genetics.

What are the effects of Granddaddy Purple?

As a strongly indica strain, don’t be surprised if smoking a bowl of Granddaddy Purple suddenly makes you feel like you’re glued to the couch. Unlike some indicas, however, GDP won’t leave your mind alone: This strain is known for its powerfully euphoric cerebral effects.

What does Granddaddy Purple taste like?

Granddaddy Purple is somewhat higher in caryophyllene than most strains, leading to a spicy dominant flavor that’s mellowed by undertones of grape and berry. Don’t expect any bright or sour notes in the flavor palate of this notably serious strain.

#2) Purple Urkle (Indica)

In addition to having one of the alliterative names in all of cannabis, Purple Urkle is also known as being one of the funkiest, most surprising strains to bear purple buds. We don’t know exactly where Purp Urk came from, but it’s a Humboldt County strain through and through, and its high concentrations of humulene make Purple Urkle reminiscent of sativa strains like Jack Herer despite its obvious indica lineage.

What are the effects of Purple Urkle?

Purple Urkle is a powerfully sedative indica, so it’s commonly used for purposes like pain and insomnia. Often containing in excess of 25% THC, Purple Urkle is certainly a heavy hitter.

What does Purple Urkle taste like?

Like many purple strains, the high caryophyllene content in Purple Urkle makes this strain taste relatively spicy. At the same time, there’s plenty of myrcene and humulene there to smooth things over and make Purple Urkle just the slightest bit funky.

#3) Purple Haze (Hybrid)

While you’d have to be pretty stoned to think Jimi Hendrix was actually smoking Purple Haze onstage way back in 1967, it’s a fact that this extremely purple hybrid strain takes one of Hendrix’s most famous songs as its namesake. A cross of Purple Thai and Haze, Purple Haze is unusual among purple strains due to its sativa-leaning genetics.

What are the effects of Purple Haze?

Purple Haze isn’t a pure sativa, so it will make you feel somewhat sedated. What most users note, however, is that Purple Haze gently unlocks their inner creativity by spreading a combined aura of contentedness and euphoria. If you want to experience the power of purple weed but you’re not a big indica fan, Purple Haze is the direction to go.

What does Purple Haze taste like?

With most purple strains, fruity flavors are nowhere to be found even though their purplish buds look just like candy. Purple Haze is an outlier that, despite exhibiting the spicy berry flavor of most purps, also has plenty of sour, fruity sweetness to go around.

#4) Purple Kush (Indica)

Purple Kush has shot to the head of the purple weed races recently due to its common inclusion in hip-hop lyrics. Counting Hindu Kush and Purple Afghani as its parents, Purple Kush is a native of the Oakland area that has been a staple of Bay Area cannabis for more than a decade.

What are the effects of Purple Kush?

Purple Kush might be even “stonier” than Granddaddy Purp, often considered to be the most indica-heavy purple strain. Compared to GDP, Purple Kush might land a little bit more thoroughly on the euphoria side of the equation even though it also provides that typical indica couch lock.

What does Purple Kush taste like?

With an earthier taste than most purps, Purple Kush is also distinguished by its flavor of grapes that might have just started the fermentation process to become wine. Undertones of spiciness will become noticeable when you exhale.

#5) Purple Skunk (Sativa)

Sativa lovers looking for a purple to try are now allowed to rejoice: The fifth purple strain we’ve chosen is Purple Skunk, which—like almost all skunky strains—is powerfully sativa in its genetics. A cross between Skunk #1 and a mysterious purple parent, Purple Skunk is the world of weed’s most potent and delicious purple sativa.

What are the effects of Purple Skunk?

Unlike most strains that take on that purple tinge, Purple Skunk delivers purely sativa effects. As a result, this purple weed is ideal for daytime use, and users also report that Purple Skunk has a way of promoting creative activities.

What does Purple Skunk taste like?

Purple Skunk tastes “purple” only as far as its berry overtones. Notably absent is the spiciness found in most indica purple strains, and in its place, you’ll find a powerful skunky flavor that comes directly from Purple Skunk’s Skunk #1 heritage.

Purple weed FAQ

Let’s conclude this dossier of the best purple weed with answers to some common questions on the topic:

What strain is “purple weed?”

No single strain takes the title of “purple weed.” Instead, this descriptor refers to a whole class of cannabis strains that all display purple coloration on their buds and leaves. Some examples of popular purple weed strains include Granddaddy Purple, Purple Urkle, Purple Haze, Purple Kush, and Purple Skunk. Strains of weed that look purple are usually indica-dominant, but there are plenty of hybrid and sativa purple cannabis strains out there as well.

Why is purple weed purple?

The purple pigment visible in purple weed comes from the flavonoid anthocyanin, the same substance that makes blueberries purplish-blue. Every strain of cannabis contains multiple different flavonoids, but high concentrations of anthocyanin are relatively rare among weed cultivars.

Over the last few decades, intrepid weed breeders have sought out strains that naturally contain high anthocyanin concentrations and crossed them together. Grandaddy Purple was one of the first strains to produce powerfully purple buds, but since then, the secret “purple sauce” has spread like wildfire amongst cannabis breeders in California and beyond.

What does purple weed taste like?

Most people who have tried purple weed would probably choose a single word when asked to describe how it tastes: “spicy.” However, the spiciness of the terpene caryophyllene isn’t the only factor that defines the flavor of purple weed. While most indica-dominant purple strains contain high concentrations of caryophyllene, hybrid and sativa purps often do not.

In reality, there isn’t a single flavor sensation that describes purple weed. Many purple strains taste spicy, but others do not. Berry is also a common flavor to encounter in purple weed, and purple strains might taste hazy, sour, or even fruity depending on their genetics.

What are the effects of purple weed?

There are dozens of purple weed strains these days, but most of them are indica-dominant. As a result, you’re most likely to experience a relaxing, body-dominant high if you simply pick a purple strain of weed at random and smoke it.

Many newcomers to purple weed are caught by surprise, though, when the purple nugs they picked up at the dispensary have balanced or even uplifting effects. Purple genetics have made their way throughout the indica-sativa strain spectrum, so don’t be too shocked if even the purplest strain in the house turns out to be sativa-dominant.

Does purple weed make you sleepy?

Some strains of purple weed might make you feel sleepy, but others might not. Generally, only weed with indica-dominant genetics will deliver a reliably soporific experience, but many people find the euphoric effects of THC to be relaxing regardless of the accompanying terpenes.

Even sativa terpenes usually don’t seem to have strictly stimulating effects, so it’s not like smoking the wrong purple strain before you sleep will keep you up all night. Make sure your purple strain is an indica like Grandaddy Purp or Purple Kush if you want to experience the strongest sedative effects, though.

Does weed color matter?

The way it’s revered by growers and smokers alike, you’d think there’s something mystical about purple weed. In reality, though, weed that expresses a purple color scheme is not any more potent or tasty than weed that expresses other colors. The color of cannabis buds is mainly determined by the flavonoids they contain, and the differences individual flavonoids make in the experienced effects of weed are usually considered negligible.

Is purple weed better?

One mistaken impression about purple weed is that it’s “superweed” or somehow better. Sure, some people may prefer the effects of strains that turn purplish during the final days of flowering, but there’s nothing about purple weed that makes it more potent or mystically powerful. In the end, the quality of purple weed comes down to the same factors as the quality of any other type of cannabis: how it was grown, its genetics, and how it was dried and cured.

Is purple sativa or indica?

Most purple strains are indica, but purple genetics have also been bred into some sativa strains like Purple Skunk. A strain being purple isn’t enough to indicate whether it is indica or sativa — you’ll need to learn about the strains’ particular genetics to determine how it will affect you when you smoke it.

Are purple strains good?

There’s nothing about purple strains of weed that make them any better or worse than strains of cannabis that lack this purple pigmentation. The mere presence of the purplish chemical anthocyanin is not enough to ensure the quality of a strain of cannabis. With that said, purple strains like Purple Haze and Grandaddy Purple are almost universally considered to be some of the best cultivars ever bred, so maybe there’s something to the purple hype after all.

How strong is Purple Kush weed?

Purple strains offer, on average, exactly the same potency as non-purple strains of weed. Older purple strains like Purple Haze come from a time when 10-15% THC was normal, but newer purps like Purple Skunk and Purple OG often contain 25% THC or higher. While it’s a pretty pigment, anthocyanin doesn’t do anything to add to the psychoactive properties of THC, and purple strains can contain a variety of different terpenes, further widening the potency discrepancy between this group of cultivars.

How does Purple Haze make you feel?

If the legendary Hendrix song is any indication, Purple Haze will make you feel like you’re kissing the sky (no, not “this guy”). Purple Haze is a potent sativa strain that provides a wild head high along with a massive surge of euphoria. Smoke enough of it, and you might even find yourself slamming out the national anthem on an electric guitar.

How do you grow purple weed?

Contrary to popular belief, there’s no special trick to growing purple weed. Some strains of cannabis have simply been bred to express more purplish anthocyanin than others, and the buds these strains produce will start turning purple during the last few weeks of the flowering phase regardless of what you do. That’s right — starving your plants of oxygen, mixing up your watering schedule, and blasting your ladies with nitrogen actually does nothing to make your weed purple.

Which strains of weed are purple?

At this point, dozens of different cannabis strains have been bred to express higher-than-average quantities of purplish anthocyanin. We’ve already covered five in this article:

1. Grandaddy Purple
2. Purple Urkle
3. Purple Haze
4. Purple Kush
5. Purple Skunk

However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the purple weed strains you can try. To help you find the perfect purple strain for your needs, here’s as full of a list as we could come up with:

• Obama Kush
• Sour Grape
• Grape Skunk
• Purple Punch
• Grape Ape
• Purple Diesel
• Purple Tangie
• Purple Afghani
• Mendocino Purps
• Blackwater
• And more!