The Best Low-Odor Marijuana Strains for Discreet Growing

Despite how fun and rewarding it is to grow Cannabis, the main concern many growers have while growing is the skunky smell the plants give off. This is especially true for those trying to maintain a discreet indoor garden.

Growing low-odor strains may be the best choice if you want to harvest but don’t want the pungent odor of Cannabis lingering around your home. To learn more and find the right strains, continue reading our list of the best low-odor strains for indoor growing.

What makes a marijuana strain low odor?

Low-odor strains are those without a strong and distinct “skunky” smell while growing and smoking the weed. To determine if a strain is low odor, consider the following:

• How strong is the smell, or how much odor is there when smoked
• How distinct is the scent of marijuana
• How similar is the odor’s scent to marijuana when smoked or grown

As their name suggests, being low-odor strains doesn’t completely remove the pungent smell of weed. Instead, it reduces the skunkiness from myrcene to a manageable degree, which ensures that the distinct smell of Cannabis won’t linger.

Terpenes and odor – the connection

Usually, a rich aroma is a sign of a healthy and high-quality bud, but if you want to grow discreetly, you’ll need to choose plants with the right terpenes. Terpenes, as aromatic compounds, are responsible for a strain’s smell. In many cases, terpenes can also determine how pungent and distinct the scent is. Marijuana plants contain about 400 types of terpenes; each strain has different concentrations of these aromatic oils, giving them a distinct smell. You can find some of them below.

Myrcene

Myrcene is responsible for some stains’ distinct, spicy flavor. Outside of giving marijuana plants their distinctive skunkiness, this oil can also have an earthy and fruity aroma.

Limonene

Limonene gives certain strains a strong citrus scent and tastes similar to oranges or lemons. Some claim limonene has therapeutic benefits and helps assist with depressive symptoms.

Alpha-pinene

Alpha-pinene gives marijuana strains the flavor of pine trees with a hint of rosemary and pine nuts. Alpha-pinene is considered a good antioxidant that can help reduce the risk of diseases.

Caryophyllene

Caryophyllene adds the flavor of cloves or black pepper to marijuana. Caryophyllene in some strains like Sour Diesel serves as a terpene, giving the buds a distinct diesel-like smell and taste. When choosing the best low odor marijuana strains for this list, we considered their terpenes and Cannabis SEO value to separate the aromatic from the truly skunky.  

Are low-odor strains less potent?

No. A strain’s potency isn’t always dependent on its plants’ pungency or skunkiness. While it is one way to identify how potent its buds will be without smoking it, basing it on aroma alone isn’t enough. Take Durban Poison as an example; it is a potent landrace, yet it’s practically odorless.

Does sativa or indica smell more?

Indica strains tend to be more smelly than sativas. While both strains have unique aromas (sativas have a sweet or spicy smell while indicas have a more woody or earthy scent), indicas smell far more because indica plants can also give off the strong smell of skunk.

What makes a marijuana strain low odor?

A strain is “low odor” if it doesn’t have the distinctive and robust skunkiness of weed while being grown or smoked. Many other factors can also determine whether a strain has a low odor or not, such as how pungent it is when smoked and how similar its aroma is to marijuana when smoked or grown. Continue reading to learn what the top low-odor marijuana strains for home growing are.

Durban Poison

Besides being an award-winning sativa prized for its strong citrus flavor, Durban Poison is also one of the best low odor Cannabis strains. Durban Poison plants are nearly odorless throughout the growing process.

Durban Poison feminized seeds

Durban Poison is a pure sativa named after its city of origin: Durban, South Africa. Despite its name, it is a delightful strain that gives the user energy, joy, and creativity.

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After curing its buds, they give off a spicy, citrusy aroma similar to licorice, which masks the weed’s skunkiness. Durban Poison’s spicy and citrus flavor complements its uplifting and energizing buzz, making it an ideal morning strain that will help you start your day. 

In other cases, it’s also excellent in ridding you of fatigue and some depressive symptoms.

Durban Poison cultivar profile

Northern Lights

Specifically bred for discreet indoor growing, Northern Lights is one of the most well-known low odor weed strains. Besides being odorless, this excellent indoor strain produces small plants that look unassuming, yet the number of buds it produces may surprise you.

Northern Lights feminized seeds

This strain is what we call 'word of mouth' famous. If you've heard of any one strain, it's usually Northern Lights - and for good reason. Northern Lights seeds grow buds that drip with resin, it has a short flowering phase, and growers at every level love it!

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Northern Lights’ buds do not have an overpowering scent like most buds do. Instead, the strain has a citrusy aroma with hints of pine and spice. When toked, a relaxing body high helps ease pain and tension.

Northern Lights cultivar profile

Jack Herer

Jack Herer is easy to cultivate despite being a sativa-dominant hybrid. Part of what makes this strain a grower’s dream is high resistance to diseases and fast flowering— two traits you don’t normally see in sativas. However, Jack Herer is an excellent strain because it produces odorless plants that will yield buds with aromas that mask its skunkiness.

Jack Herer

Jack Herer is one of the most popular strains worldwide. It was first bred for marijuana patients due to genetics that delivered happy and soothing feelings combined with potent properties for therapeutic use.

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This mix of piney and earthy scents makes Jack Herer one of the best low odor marijuana strains to grow.

Jack Herer cultivar profile

Master Kush

One of the more popular low-odor Cannabis strains on this list is Master Kush. Loved by many for its sweet taste and strong body effect, it didn’t take long for Master Kush to become anyone’s go-to strain.

Master Kush feminized seeds

Master Kush seeds were created in a residential building in Amsterdam, Netherlands, a city world-famous for its love of marijuana.

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Different users report mixed reviews on the flavor and aroma. However, they all agree that its buds’ pungent, smooth, and sweet woody taste complements its stress-relieving and uplifting effects.

Master Kush cultivar profile

White Rhino

White Rhino is a great strain choice if discretion is the main concern. Once cured, the buds give off a smell similar to the air around a woody forest. Its sweet and earthy smell isn’t just there to mask the scent of the buds but also to complement the relaxing high that it provides.

White Rhino feminized seeds

White Rhino is a well-respected strain boasting of parentage from the regions of India, Afghanistan, and Brazil. Weed grown from White Rhino seeds delivers a relaxing high, perfect for those feeling stressed out.

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White Rhino has a high THC content, so first-time smokers should start slowly before experiencing the soothing effect that it’ll have on the body.

White Rhino cultivar profile

Bubblegum

Bubblegum is one of the more flavorful, low-odor weed strains on this list. Its pleasant flowery smell hints at its buds’ sweet and earthy taste. When toked, you’ll detect faint smells of berries and tropical candy. The creamy and sweet taste reminiscent of fruity bubblegum complements a relaxing full-body high, surfacing uplifting and stress-free feelings.

Bubblegum feminized seeds

Bubblegum seeds grow the perfect blend of 50% sativa and 50% indica. This feminized plant is famous for its sweet smell and powerful high. It contains a medium level of CBD, and a whopping 17% THC.

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Bubblegum cultivar profile

Trainwreck

While Trainwreck isn’t technically a low-odor strain, it still deserves a spot on this list. Trainwreck has strong cedar, and pine smells that overpower the buds’ skunkiness. The hints of spiciness and sweetness in its scent complement its woody scents.

Trainwreck feminized seeds

Trainwreck is a sativa-dominant hybrid with effects so potent they hit you like a freight train. This staple from Northern California delivers a piney, spicy aroma mixed with the smell of sweet lemon.

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Trainwreck also has a surprisingly sharp, lemony flavor with hints of earthiness and pine. Trainwreck lives up to its name when smoked. A surge of happiness and energy mixes with a strong, calming buzz. It’s these slew of effects that could leave many inexperienced smokers confused.

Trainwreck cultivar profile

Granddaddy Purple

A list of fragrant strains isn’t complete without Granddaddy Purple. This purple indica is famous not just for its purple shade but also for its distinct smell and taste. After lighting up, notice how it produces a sweet-smelling smoke with hints of grapes and berries.

Granddaddy Purple feminized seeds

This is a product of crossbreeding Purple Urkle and Big Bud, two popular indica strains! If you love indica strains, you are going to fall head over heels in love as this bad grandpa is a 100% PURE indica!

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Its taste is even better. A strong grape flavor provides a mouthwatering acidity that will surely stimulate your appetite. As for its high, some note experiencing a satisfying buzz while feeling calm and elated.

Granddaddy Purple cultivar profile

Strawberry Cough

The first thing to enjoy about Strawberry Cough is the fruity taste from smoking its buds. The strain also hints at earthy and herbal flavors as you savor the fresh strawberries from its smoke. Strawberry Cough offers a mellow, slow-acting high that doesn’t end in couchlock. There’s often a cough due to the tingling sensation it creates in the throat.

Strawberry Cough feminized seeds

Strawberry Cough seeds delivers a fruity sweetness and a clear-headed high. This sativa-dominant strain truly smells and tastes like strawberries.

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Strawberry Cough cultivar profile

Conclusion

Maintaining a discreet garden or finding a discreet strain to smoke is easy when you do your research beforehand. Remember, it’s less about finding a strain that doesn’t smell and more about finding one that doesn’t ‘smell like weed’.  

If you’re ready to grow, you can find all of the strains listed above in my online store. If you’re concerned about the smell of marijuana while growing, it’s essential to provide proper ventilation. You can also use carbon filters to help mask the smell. 

Happy Growing,

Robert