Purple Kush

Hindu Kush and Purple Afghani are considered the parents of Purple Kush. The cross is attributed to the Oakland area in California, more precisely to Kenneth Morrow, whose company Trichome Technologies ran it under the name Ultraviolet. The original plant was passed on as a cutting; several breeders offer seeds under the same name, some of them with entirely different parent lines.

Genetics and Origin:

Todd McCormick of Authentic Genetics recalls seeing Purple Kush cuttings in Northern California in the mid-1990s and attributes them to Morrow. In McCormick's view, the strain stands at the start of a sequence that first produced Mendocino Purps and, from that, Granddaddy Purple. A differing strain description places the origin in British Columbia.

A detailed user report describes at least 3 clones circulating under the name. The SR-71 cut spread through the coffeeshop of the same name in the part of Oakland known as Oaksterdam and is said to be Morrow's Ultraviolet. Garberville Purple Kush is attributed to Swerve of Cali Connection Seeds, occasionally forms foxtails and flowers in about 55 days, late-maturing plants up to 70 days. The report links Las Vegas Purple Kush to Kyle Kushman; whether Purple Indica and Northern Lights or an S1 of Bubba Kush is behind it remains open there. Compared with this darker-tasting cut, SR-71 and Garberville show the more pronounced grape aroma. An 8th place in the Indica category of the Karma Cup 2016 is recorded for a Purple Kush listed as a clone.

Versions from Different Breeders:

United Cannabis Seeds and MSNL Seeds use the traditionally cited parent combination for feminized seeds. United Cannabis Seeds states 53 days of flowering, 19 % THC and up to 2 % CBD; MSNL Seeds gives 8 to 10 weeks, 400 to 500 g/m² indoors, up to 24 % THC and an outdoor harvest in late September.

At Kannabia Seeds, Purple Kush is itself a parent, crossed with Black Domina; the breeder gives 55 to 60 days of flowering and 500 g/m². Crop King Seeds crossed Cali Purple Kush with Original Kush and states 8 to 10 weeks and 18 to 21 % THC. Bohemiaseeds uses Chem Valley LSD and Sweet Mendo Kush, and Sensi Seeds a triple cross of Hindu Kush, Skunk Kush and Maple Leaf Indica for Sensi Purple Kush.

Aroma and Flavor:

Earthy and sweet, with grape and violet, according to the widely circulated strain description. User reports add berries, flowers and lavender, a few also wood, pine or a hint of menthol; some describe the smell as pungent. The SR-71 cut is said to taste of grape and hashish, and one grower noted sandalwood and hashish.

Effects:

Mainly relaxation and drowsiness are reported, along with euphoria and good mood. A few consumers describe tingling in the body, giddiness or creativity, and a press review describes a rather head-centered effect. As side effects, users name dry mouth and dry eyes, and strain descriptions add dizziness and paranoia. One consumer reports restlessness, another pronounced lethargy at a high dose.

THC and CBD Content:

The widely circulated strain description gives 19 % THC and names myrcene, pinene and caryophyllene as the leading terpenes. Another one, which cites lab certificates, gives 0.1 % CBD and 0.3 % CBG and ranks humulene at 0.49 % ahead of pinene at 0.47 %, caryophyllene at 0.32 % and myrcene at 0.31 %.

For 2 batches sold under this name as hemp flower in the US, the sellers published analyses showing 24.1 and 28.4 % THCA and 1.39 and 3.21 % total terpenes; in the first, caryophyllene led ahead of limonene and linalool. Values vary by batch, cultivation and phenotype.

Cultivation:

A grow guide gives 7 to 8 weeks of flowering for the clone line, along with cool to moderate temperatures. The plant grows bushy and wider than tall, and the guide recommends SCROG and plenty of fertilizer. Outdoors, harvest takes place from mid to late September, and a strain description assumes a dry climate for this. The sources disagree on mold: the guide advises watching for bud rot, while one grower found no susceptibility. According to a user report, cooler temperatures intensify the purple coloration.

In a documented indoor grow, the plants grew from 13 to 38 cm after the start of flowering and were ripe after 53 days. The grower describes very firm buds with little leaf content, high nutrient demand and good results with topping. An outdoor grow with seeds from Crop King Seeds stayed small, reacted sensitively to fertilizing, needed supports and was harvested in early October; another grower of this version reports hermaphrodite formation.