Strawberry Fields

At the 2016 Errl Cup in Phoenix, an entry called Strawberry Fields took 2nd place in the patient class of the Flower Sativa category. The results list does not say which genetics were behind it; it gives only the strain name and the submitting company. With this name that is no minor detail, because at least 4 genetically different plants circulate today as Strawberry Fields. The oldest is regarded as an Indica from Vermont and became known through its offspring Strawberry Cough.

Genetics and Origin:

Several strain descriptions place the original line in the US state of Vermont. It is said to have been selected for strawberry scent and flavor and for maturity before the first snowfall; one grower puts flowering at about 7 weeks and calls the plant high-yielding. According to one description, it grew alongside strawberry plants for decades. No breeder is on record, and the statements on type contradict each other: one source lists the strain as a pure Indica and names Virginia as well as Vermont as the place of breeding, another describes an Indica-Sativa hybrid with roots in Nepal.

Strawberry Cough arose from a cross of Strawberry Fields with a Haze. Other documented crosses are Elysian Fields and Strawberry Pluton by Hash Hands, Raphael and Strawberry Starburst by Irie Genetics, Strawberry Durban by Massive Seeds and Golden Boy by Seach Medical Group, a cross with NYC Diesel. Hash Hands also lists an inbred line under the name Strawberry Fields IBL.

Versions from Different Breeders:

Sagarmatha Seeds uses the name for a heavier-acting variant of Strawberry Cough. The breeder crossed Strawberry Cough with an unnamed Indica and backcrossed the offspring to the Strawberry Cough mother. Only feminized seeds are offered. According to Sagarmatha Seeds, flowering takes 55 to 60 days with a medium yield, and the strain can be grown indoors, outdoors and in a greenhouse.

The version from Crockett Family Farms has no documented link to the Vermont line. The breeder crossed a Strawberry Banana mother with a Tangie father, classes the result as 65 % Sativa and states 55 to 65 days of flowering, a high yield and 18 to 24 % THC. According to the same information, this version was never available as feminized seeds. A California producer, in turn, sells flowers of a cross of Red Pop and Cookies & Cream under the same name.

Aroma and Flavor:

In the strain descriptions, strawberry comes first, accompanied by sweet and berry notes. Crockett Family Farms describes aromas between strawberry and sweet citrus berry for its own cross. Several user reports confirm the strawberry note. Other consumers barely noticed strawberry and described mint, lemon or a mix of berry, earth, gas and pine instead.

THC Content:

One producer states 21 % THC for a batch of flowers from Strawberry Banana and Tangie. This is a single figure with no lab named. The associated terpene profile adds up to 0.872 % and is led by terpinolene (0.302 %), followed by myrcene (0.215 %) and limonene (0.123 %). A strain description that conflates the Sagarmatha Seeds version with the Strawberry Banana and Tangie lineage gives 19 % THC and likewise names terpinolene, myrcene and pinene as the predominant terpenes.

Effects:

The user reports refer to different versions and in part to vaporizer cartridges, so the picture is correspondingly inconsistent. Relaxation, a tingling in the body and sleepiness are described repeatedly, in some reports to the point of reluctance to move off the couch, along with euphoria and good mood. Other consumers reported focus, creativity and talkativeness or felt energetic instead of tired. Those who compared the strain with Strawberry Cough reached opposite verdicts: one report found it stronger, another weaker. Dry mouth, dry eyes and headaches are listed as side effects, and one report also mentions heightened paranoia in a tense situation.