Top 3 Ruderalis Sativa Strains

A great many of new cannabis consumers don't know that the cannabis plant comes in 3 subspecies: Cannabis indica, Cannabis sativa and Cannabis ruderalis. They differ in characteristics such as morphology, flowering time, geographical origin and so on. Because this article will be about the best ruderalis sativa strains, it would be wise to introduce the reader to the basics of these cannabis varieties.

CANNABIS SATIVA

Sativas are at home in temperate areas near the equator, where the climate is warm and the growing season long, such as Thailand, Mexico and Colombia. Due to these conditions, sativa plants tend to be tall and slender, growing to a height of 2-3m and they grow long branches with narrow leaves, that are light green in colour. One of the most important characteristics for growers is the flowering time and sativas usually take a lot of time to mature. Most sativa strains take an average of 12 weeks to flower. The high induced of the Cannabis sativa is cerebral, uplifting and enhances creativity. These effects are used to relieve symptoms such as depression and fatigue.

CANNABIS RUDERALIS

The ruderalis originates from central Russia. It is incredibly short, growing to a height of only 50-100cm and it has fewer leaves and branches compared to the other species. It produces a very low amount of THC, which makes it unsuitable for recreational use. However, it has a fair amount of CBD and can be used for medicinal properties, although it is not as popular as other variants. The main reason Cannabis ruderalis is used at all is due to its autoflowering properties. This means that these plants switch from the vegetative phase to the flowering phase automatically with age, while most strains are photoperiod-dependent. Growers make use of this trait to shorten flowering times in other strains while at the same time making them shorter and more robust, which is perfectly suited for indoor growing.

Today, these varieties are crossbred to produce some amazing, award-winning strains, such as:

AMNESIA HAZE AUTOMATIC

Amnesia Haze is a classic sativa strain bred in the Netherlands in the 90's. Known for its highly energetic and uplifting high and a wonderful spicy, citrus aroma, it is a respected sativa and a crowd favourite. The only downside to it, as with most sativas, is its very long flowering time, taking up to 12 weeks to harvest. This problem is solved by crossing the Amnesia Haze with a ruderalis, creating the Amnesia Haze Automatic.

The Amnesia Haze Automatic is a sativa-dominant hybrid strain, keeping all the best qualities of the Amnesia Haze while cutting down on flowering time. Indoors, it will take this strain around 80 days from seed to bud, while the regular Amnesia Haze requires that amount of time just for the flowering phase. This shows the benefits of the ruderalis genes. Considering it is an autoflowering strain, she will grow very large (approx. 80-150cm), clearly indicating the sativa heritage with thin leaves and long buds. The yield is generous with an average of 50g per indoor plant up to 150g of long, foxtail-like buds in ideal conditions.

ROYAL DWARF

Another sativa-dominant hybrid, Royal Dwarf is a cross between the original Skunk and a ruderalis variety. It is a very compact strain with tight buds, almost bonsai-like in appearance. This makes her perfectly suited for indoor or micro growing. The average height is really low, around 40-60cm, but the yield is great for a strain of that size with a 60g average per plant. The Royal Dwarf is a really fast strain due to its excellent ruderalis genetics with a harvest time of 8-9 weeks.

The high is physical and deeply relaxing, with a mildly uplifting effect, which is typical to the Skunk heritage. A heavy skunky aroma with a hint of Diesel best describes this strain's flavour.

ROYAL HAZE AUTOMATIC

The last one in our list of excellent autoflowering sativa-dominant hybrids is the Royal Haze Automatic. It was created by crossing Amnesia Haze and Skunk and then breeding that cross with a ruderalis of great quality. Haze strains are in great demand due to their astounding sativa properties and the Royal Haze Automatic trumps even that with its really short harvest time of 10-12 weeks. The height of the plant peaks around 60-100cm, which is unheard of for a Haze and we can thank the ruderalis genetics for that. Royal Haze Automatic has an amazing yield too, with an average of 80g per plant.

As far as high and flavour goes, it has all the qualities you would expect from a Haze. A buzzing, energetic high that will leave you focused and in a good mood throughout the day combined with a great-tasting, spicy citrus flavour.

We hope that this article will help you in choosing a cannabis strain best suited for your needs and that you will learn a lot about the different subspecies of cannabis through this process.