7 Best Terpinolene Weed Strains for Fruity, Herbal Flavours

One of the rarest terpenes across the cannabis spectrum, terpinolene is rarely the dominant factor in a strain’s flavour profile. But some classic strains like Durban Poison or Jack Herer are actually fairly heavy in the compound. These strains have complex flavours with hints of earthy herbs and light citrus. Want to try one for yourself? Here are our picks.

What is terpinolene?

Tarpaulin might be the least common terpene found in cannabis plants. In fact, only about 1 in 10 weed strains are terpinolene-dominant; but that doesn’t mean it’s hard to find. Many of the most well-known strains have at least a degree of terpinolene in them and there are even a few out there that have it in high quantities.

What does terpinolene smell like?

Unlike some terpenes that have a single defining taste (limonene? Smells like lemons. Pinene? You guessed it), terpinolene has a fairly complex flavour profile. These strains are known for a fruity, herbal, earthy, and even a little citrus taste.

What are the best terpinolene strains?

Terpinolene-dominant strains are rare but many strains also feature it in larger amounts. Here’s our list of the best terpinolene strains.

1. White Widow

One of the most famous strains of all time, White Widow was first bred in the 1990s and has since made its way into dozens of other crosses. As a perfect 50/50 hybrid of indica and sativa, this strain has everything any smoker would be looking for; an energetic buzz that gets you laughing and socializing without anxiety. The terpinolene in this strain gives it an earthy, flowery smell and a more pungent piney taste.

Outdoors, White Widow can grow as tall as 2 metres and produce up to 625 grams per plant. Once the plant starts to bloom, growers will notice very pale green buds covered in white trichomes that will continue to spread to the fan leaves.

Those who are looking to grow these plants inside will have an easy time keeping them under a metre tall while still producing up to 525 grams per square metre. White Widow’s strong branches are often a bit thicker than many sativa hybrids which means that they can support dense and heavy buds that can contain up to 21% THC. These traits make this strain a particularly good choice for a sea of green.

Since this strain is ideal for virtually any grower, White Widow has become a worldwide staple. Nowadays, it can easily be found in nearly every dispensary, coffee shop, and seed bank around. Indoors or outdoors, this strain’s ease of growth makes it an ideal choice for beginners and pros alike.

2. Durban Poison

A pure sativa out of the South African port city of Durban, Durban Poison is a strain that has worked its way into hundreds of crosses over the last few decades. In that time, it has gained a reputation as one of the most uplifting and energizing strains out there, making it a favorite among many users.

The flavour of Durban Poison is sweet and earthy with hints of pine and citrus. The strain’s aroma combines of spice, anise, and a pleasant skunkiness. In terms of effects, users choose this train for its cerebral and uplifting high which offers a clear-headed focus that makes it an excellent choice for daytime use or creative endeavours. An increase in energy, euphoria, and productivity without the heavy couch lock makes this a favourite of any outdoorsman.

Growers know this strain for its tall and lanky frame with long, thin leaves. This strain has an incredibly high stretch during flowering and these plants can easily reach heights of more than 2.5 metres outside. With this height, comes a fairly lengthy flowering period of 65-80 days. During that time, these plants can easily produce up to 560 grams per square metre outdoors of resinous, sticky buds.

3. Girl Scout Cookies

As one of the most well-known terpinolene strains, Girl Scout Cookies (GSC) has a spicy sweet smell and a piney, anise flavour. As a 60/40 indica/sativa cross, this strain offers users a social, uplifting, and powerful high that slowly gives way to a more relaxed body sensation.

This strain was created by crossing OG Kush and Durban Poison which makes it a great choice for a sunny, drier environment. However, its resilient nature lets it be grown just about anywhere—if you’ve got the room. These plants can easily grow to over 2 metres tall outdoors but indoor growers can manage to keep it as short as a metre thanks to its heavy indica genetics.

Gil Scout Cookies plants normally flower over the course of about 60-70 days, during which they grow fat heavy buds on several tall thick branches. Under natural light, they can easily produce up to 625 grams per plant and up to 22% THC.

4. Jack Herer

Named after the so-called “Emperor of Hemp”, Jack Herer the strain might just be more well-known than Jack Herer the man. This sativa-dominant hybrid has become a staple in the cannabis community for its high levels of terpinolene which gives it a combination of earthy and piney flavours with hints of sweetness and spice.

This strain typically grows fairly tall and can easily reach 2.5 metres outdoors. These plants tend to grow dense and compact buds and long narrow leaves and can produce up to 500 grams per plant. Indoor growers might struggle with these as their height and growth pattern can easily outpace many setups. If you have the space, though, you can look forward to harvests of up to 600 grams per square metre.

Jack Herer delivers users a fairly well-balanced high that brings out both its sativa and indica lineage. Uplifting and euphoric with mild body relaxation, this strain is known for enhancing focus, creativity, and motivation, making it a popular choice among anyone in need of some daytime productivity without feeling overly stimulated.

5. Trainwreck

This strain is defined by its high levels of terpinolene; as a result, Trainwreck has a distinctly earthy, spicy taste. An 80% sativa cross between Mexican, Thai, and Afghan parents, this strain is one of the tallest around and can tower more than 2.5 metres tall when grown outdoors. Even inside, these plants can easily grow to heights over 150 cm.

As a result, these plants are very lanky and stretched out and fill out evenly from top to bottom with dense, heavy buds that can contain up to 17% THC. Despite their size, though, Trainwreck plants only grow up to around 550 grams per plant outdoors and 475 grams per square metre indoors. While that’s not at all bad, growers who are used to bushier indicas might be surprised.

With that said, growers don’t choose Trainwreck for the yield, they choose it for its effects. Users can expect an amazing euphoric and cerebral high that sets it apart from many other indicas. Unlike most indica-dominant strains, this one gets you feeling the urge to get off the couch to see what else might be going on outside.

6. Grapefruit Punch

As a cross of Grapefruit, Northern Lights, OG Kush, & Durban Poison, Grapefruit Punch is a 50/50 hybrid bursting with terpinolene. The flavours of this strain come primarily from the Grapefruit and Durban genetics and these flowers have an amazing citrusy, sweet, almost chocolatey taste. Users of Grapefruit Punch can expect a well-balanced high that is both relaxing and cerebral; the perfect choice for lounging around on a rainy afternoon.

If you’re interested in growing some for yourself, this strain is incredibly easy to grow. The autoflowering version in our shop flowers on its own after as little as 50 days and can produce up to 300 grams per square metre indoors or up to 200 grams per plant outdoors. This might seem small compared to some of the other strains on this list, but autoflowering plants simply don’t get the time to grow as large as feminized versions.

This strain is short and bushy growing only 80-120 cm even outdoors—inside, they can be kept to under half a metre. These plants typically grow a single main kola with minimal other branches. This, combined with its short stature, actually make these a suitable autoflowering for a sea of green-style grow.

7. Amnesia

The origins of Amnesia are complicated, to say the least. This strain is originally a cross between Haze and Afghani but was later refined using Jack Herer (where the terpinolene comes from), Cinderella 99, and Skunk #1. The result is a strain that grows like an indica but smokes like a sativa; these plants are short and bushy but give users an incredibly powerful and uplifting high.

Users have long joked that smoking this strain will get you so high that you’ll forget you even smoked it—hence the name. You can look forward to a very uplifting, euphoric high that’s sure to spark some creativity, lighten the mood, or just compel you to go for a walk.

A 60% sativa hybrid, these plants can easily grow more than 2 metres tall outdoors. Even inside it’s not uncommon for them to grow to well over a metre. Amnesia plants are typically stocky and bushy with a wide base that narrows at the top into a distinct “Christmas Tree” shape.

With a flowering time that ranges from 55 to 80 days, Amnesia is slow and can be difficult to time. But the wait is more than worth it as outdoor growers can expect to harvest up to 550 grams per plant at THC levels of around 20%.

What do you think, is terpinolene one of your favourite terpenes? Which of these strains have you grown? Got any tips? Sound off in the comments.

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  • Author_profiles-WSS-Ken

    Kenny Hall

    Raised in the Colorado Rockies, I moved to Prague in 2017 and have never looked back. In my poorer college days, I learned all I needed to start growing my own and have kept up with the hobby on and off for nearly 20 years. When I'm not writing or tending to my garden, you'll find me in the park with a beer, a bowl, and a big bag of buds basking under a beautiful blue sky.
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