Cannabis enthusiasts may know their way around a bong, but do you know your way around a marijuana plant? Rare Garden’s growers, scientists and horticulturalists certainly do, and we’re here to share the knowledge.

Sex of the cannabis plant
Did you know that cannabis plants can be male or female? The ones that we enjoy are the flowers of a female plant (hooray for girl power!) Female plants produce the flower that is trimmed down into the buds you smoke. Males produce pollen sacs near the base of the leaves. Male plants pollinate females to initiate seed production, but the buds we consume come from seedless female plants—these are called “sinsemilla.” To determine the sex of a plant, look at where the branches join (called the nodes). The male plants will have visible oblong pollen sacs (makes sense, right?) and the females will have pilstils, like a flower.

It All Starts with the Seed
OK, so we all know that plants start with seeds. So, the seed is planted into soil – Rare Garden uses only the finest soil with organic-grade fertilizer – and begins to take root. The main root is called a taproot – it’s the key to success, drawing oxygen and water from the soil. Where the root and the stem join together is called a root crown, and is a very important part of the plant, gathering oxygen and resources near the surface of the soil.

From there, everything grows. Once the seedling germinates, the stem and leaves begin to shoot out of the soil. The stem is the center line and all of the leaves and branches grow from the stem. As the branches grow and branch out, nodes form. A node is basically a “Y” where the branch joins with the main stem. (Remember, male plants will have pollen sacs in their nodes while females will have pistils.)

2 Types of Leaves
Cannabis plants have two kinds of leaves – the iconic, five-leaf fans that we all recognize – and sugar leaves. Fan leaves are broad and wide, responsible for capturing all the sunlight and photosynthesizing. But surprisingly, that’s not what you’re smoking – fan leaves are usually trimmed and discarded. Sugar leaves are the small leaves coated with resin that the buds form around. Sugar leaves are often used for cannabis related products, but they’re not the big money. But what we really love the most comes next.

Buds/Flowers: The Stars of the Show
The flowers (also called buds) are what we harvest, dry and enjoy as cannabis lovers. Remember, the flowers only come from the female plants. (Thanks again, ladies!) And a big cluster of buds is called a cola. Colas form at the bottom of the plant and then one large one forms at the top.

Trichomes /terpenes
Trichomes are tiny crystals that coat the buds, giving them a magical, translucent sheen. Most of the fragrance and aromatics come from the trichomes, which ooze oils called terpenes.

Thankfully our experts know all of this – and so much more about growing, breeding, harvesting and cultivating the very finest flower, with the highest levels of THC. Look to The Rare Garden to deliver the higher end of high.