The strangest cannabis strains from our seed banks

Like all plants, cannabis can develop phenotypes of all shapes and sizes. Generally speaking, varieties will exhibit differences in resin production, colouring, stature or structure. Other times, cannabis will express itself with characteristics you've probably never seen before. And sometimes those characteristics can be stabilised from generation to generation to give us pleasant surprises.

For example, most of us would love to have a magical cloaking mechanism that makes our cannabis plants "disappear" from view, especially when growing outdoors. But beyond discretion, we also want plants whose yield, aroma and flavour are above average. And these are some examples present in the seed banks on our website that achieve this effect with great skill.

Freakshow, a phenomenon of nature

The variety Freakshow has the strangest leaf shape you've ever seen in a cannabis plant. As the name says, it's a freak, a mutation, an alien genetic line. Look at the picture above: those are the leaves and buds of Freakshow. Do they look like weed leaves to you? Well, they don't look like weed to the police, rippers or neighbours either - and that's just the start of how Freakshow is different from any other cannabis variety you grow.

In fact, it's also called Cannabis Lusus Monstra ('Deformed Cannabis Monster') because its strange but beautiful leaves are wrinkled and fern-like, making it ideal for guerrilla growing. And while it may be mistaken for a fern plant, mugwort or even a marigold, it is most definitely cannabis!

Freakshow was created by an American breeder known as Shapeshifter, selecting and breeding the most original specimens found in his crops, when a couple of strange little seedlings with mutant leaves appeared in a batch, he got curious and grew them. The result? He fell in love with it and decided to start crossing them. He named the plant Freakshow because it has such long leaves that it almost looks like the cannabis plant has grown arms and is trying to reach out and grab your attention, give you a hug and smother you.

Freakshow owes its crazy leaves to a genetic mutation that causes them to form in a different way than normal cannabis leaves. Most weed plants have a palmately compound leaf shape, where the leaf resembles the palm and fingers of a hand. Freakshow is different and has many smaller leaflets along the vein of each 'finger'.

This mutation is also not specific to cannabis and has been documented in other plants. The exact type of mutation that gives Freakshow its unique appearance is unknown, as there are many different genes that contribute to leaf shape, but, for example, this would be the normal leaf appearance for the so-called "wild tomato".

Shapeshifter backcrossed his mutant plants over several generations, selecting the mutated phenotypes each time. Once he had achieved some stability in the genetic line, The seed bank Humboldt Seed Company worked on the stability at a larger-scale in 2019 to acheive a more homogeneous line to use for seed production.

The winning phenotype proved to be vigorous during the vegetative stage and faster than the others during the flowering stage. It fans out as it stretches, allowing a large amount of light to enter the lower buds. At the end of the flowering period, it offered an extravagant citrus terpene profile and appeared to be the highest yielding. Lab tests showed that this phenotype averaged around 21% active cannabinoids and 18% THC.

So not only are the leaves visually dazzling and a joy to grow, but the flower is also quite special. Freakshow's aroma has diesel and grapefruit notes alongside hints of thyme and eucalyptus. And it gives a smooth banana and vanilla flavour that is sweet in the mouth. The effect is a clear sativa boost with a smooth head high and a tingling body sensation. The uplifting, positive and cerebral effect of Freakshow makes it a perfect daytime smoke and definitely a must for any cannabis enthusiast looking for something a little different, such as the pleasure of growing a plant that is visually stunning.

In-fern-Ho, a worthy succesor in the circus of freaks

There are also cannabis strains resulting from other genetics crossed with Freakshow. This is the case of In-fern-Ho (a play on words between "inferno" and "fern"), which is the result of hybridising the Freakshow variety with a Sensi Durban. This cross has been stabilised by Nomad Seeds to achieve a much more vigorous strain thanks to the addition of South African genes. This seed bank based in Mallorca specialises in producing genetic lines based on very interesting mutations, plants with a very different morphology to conventional cannabis.

In the case of In-fern-Ho, they have achieved a plant with 80% sativa dominance but faster, which can be harvested in just 9 weeks when grown indoors (and in early October in full-season outdoor crops). And with a higher yield of buds, which offer a sweeter and more complex aroma, while increasing its potency up to 20% THC.

Dr. Grinspoon, a classic that never fails to surprises

In this case we are looking at what is probably the most peculiar sativa on the market. The old-school sativa strain Dr. Grinspoon is dedicated to Harvard professor Dr. Lester Grinspoon, a great cannabis advocate who set out to correct uninformed science in the 1970s and whose contribution has changed our perception of cannabis over the last two decades.

Produced by Barneys Farm in Amsterdam, it also grows with a strange appearance: instead of developing dense buds at the nodes of the branches, the calyxes are almost completely separated from each other, so Dr. Grinspoon produces elongated floral clusters that decorate the plant like berries on a holly plant. It even looks more like a vine than a weed plant. Because of its unconventional appearance, this strain is also a solid choice for growers looking for subtlety in their garden. In addition, its buds can take on a purple hue during the later stages of flowering, which helps to disguise it.

Even so, its strange appearance is compensated for by the powerful psychedelic and uplifting effect that its flowers offer, on a par with the very best sativas. As if channelling the brilliance of Dr. Grinspoon himself, it is the best choice for creative and introspective thinkers, inducing heightened cerebral activity and sensory awareness. This strain is a pure sativa heirloom that inspires the imagination.

Dr. Grinspoon is not a high yielding variety and has a flowering period of 14 weeks, which makes it unpopular with commercial growers. But those who seek something different by growing this potent sativa will be rewarded with a truly unique experience.

Ducksfoot, webbed leaves ideal for discreet cultivation

Ducksfoot is another classic in this lineup of bizarre genetics, named after its leaves that resemble the webbed feet of ducks. In fact, its leaves have membranes between the leaflets, rather than the finger-like morphology of conventional cannabis varieties, something that has become one of the most recognisable icons for identifying weed. That's why, at first glance, Ducksfoot plants don't even look like cannabis. Even seasoned experts in the cannabis industry could mistake the Ducksfoot strain for another type of plant.

It comes from Australia, where it is only an outdoor variety, as it seems to do best in warmer climates that do not suffer from frost too early in the season. Several outdoor grows in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere showed good growth, but the quantity and quality of the buds were poor compared to its native Australian climate.

Underground Seed Collective have bred this unique genetic line over four generations to be able to offer the legendary Ducksfoot in regular seed form today. Thanks to its atypical foliage and original smell, this discreet looking genetics is a good choice for guerrilla cannabis growers in areas with favourable climate like the Mediterranean.

Frisian Duck, as tough as a Friesian horse

There are also some varieties that are descended from the Ducksfoot, retaining the original leaf shape and giving growers additional variations in the characteristics of the buds themselves. This is the case with the famous outdoor hybrid Frisian Duck, a cross between Frisian Dew and Ducksfoot developed by the Dutch Passion seed bank in Amsterdam. This cross retains the leaf pattern of Ducksfoot, while producing beautiful deep purple cloured buds with spicy notes of citrus and pine.

It's a strain that shows the best of both parents: it's hardy enough for outdoor growing in northern Europe (or extreme southern latitudes) along with the webbed leaves which provide it the unique ability to make it look like any other wild plant you might see. In fact, Frisian Duck was a huge hit with outdoor growers when it won the Soft Secrets Outdoor Plant Of The Year award in 2016.

Because one specific benefit of Frisian Duck is stealth. With leaves that look little like a normal cannabis plant, Frisian Duck has become a great strain for growers looking to grow cannabis incognito. For example, a Frisian Duck will look great among tomato plants in a greenhouse. And with its beautiful purple colours, it will look perfect in the flowerbed next to your spring shrubs. In the countryside, on hills or river banks, this is a variety that will naturally blend into the background of the landscape.

Also, Frisian Duck does not mind being trained to keep it low, although it can also be topped by apical pruning and will respond with a bushier, shorter structure, which together with its soft, not too intense scent, makes it virtually invisible to the untrained eye/nose.

ABC, el Cannabis Bastardo Australiano

Australian Bastard Cannabis (ABC), also known as Cannabis Australis or 'Marihuana Bindi Buds', is a unique strain of cannabis specific to Australia. It possesses structural and growth characteristics that are distinct from any other known cannabis variant, making it also a great candidate for discreet cultivation, whether urban or guerrilla. In fact, these qualities actually mitigate some of the risks associated with cannabis cultivation.

ABC exhibits a specific leaf mutation that instead of classic leaves with serrated leaflets produces tiny, shiny, smooth-edged lobed leaves that are irregular in shape and size. Compact in height, with many thin, flexible branches that can withstand even strong winds, it grows very densely and shows great resistance to adverse conditions, especially night-time temperature drops.

In cold weather, the buds turn slightly purple, giving off a very delicate and pleasant floral aroma with hints of lemon, pine and kush. Australian Bastard Cannabis is a vigorous sativa heavily conditioned by its unusual mutation, which has proven to adapt well to the inhospitable conditions of Australia's east coast, as despite the smaller leaf size, it does not suffer from disease or pests.

One of its major drawbacks is that typically ABC does not exceed 5% THC, something that may seem laughable compared to today's high potency strains; however, remember that the strains we enjoy today have been selectively bred to exhibit such traits for many generations. This is why some breeders have tried to cross ABC with other strains to boost its cannabinoid levels. However, the genes that determine leaf structure and plant size are recessive. This means that they rarely appear in the offspring of crossbred ABC plants, which is why these hybrids have not yet made it to the market, otherwise we would have them in Alchimia!