The Best Landrace Strains for Growing

Landrace strains aren’t just special; they’re essential.  That’s why many growers often have some of the best landrace strains saved. They help nurture biodiversity in the Cannabis environment. This might not sound as vital as it should, but the modernized way of today’s marijuana environment has pushed some landrace strains into becoming rare.

Without the genetic variation that landraces are known for, we would lose out on developing potential new strains of Cannabis. This is why many growers often look at a landrace strains map to either look for these rare strains or know the best type of environment in which they grow.

What is a landrace strain?

A landrace is a plant or animal species with a distinct characteristic that has developed over time. The variation adapts to its local region. Because there’s no human manipulation involved, landraces have more genetic diversity than most standardized species.

There’s also a lot of variation when describing landrace marijuana. Landrace marijuana is a pure Cannabis strain cultivated in its natural environment. This means that growers will not crossbreed it with another strain. And because it’s a landrace, this variety of marijuana has more genetic variation than most modernized strains.

However, selective breeding still occurs because it’s still cultivated, limiting this inherent trait. This still doesn’t take away from the fact that landrace marijuana is important for genetic variation and biodiversity. On the note of growing, some of the best landrace strains exist because they can produce highly rated Cannabis rich in resin content.

Lastly, landrace strains are often also referred to as heirloom strains if grown outside of the specific region where they’re known to occur naturally.

What are the best and most popular landrace strains?

Afghan, Durban Poison, and Hindu Kush are three of the best and most popular strains of landraces that most home growers can find. Colombian Gold, Acapulco Gold, and Lamb’s Bread are also popular but harder to get.

Where can you find landrace strains in the wild?

In total, there are 9 locations where marijuana naturally occurs. These places are Europe, Mexico, Africa, North Korea, Jamaica, the Middle East, the Nepalese Himalayas, parts of the midwest in the U.S., and finally, Russia, where Cannabis ruderalis originated from.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of growing the best landrace strains?

Growing the best landrace Cannabis strains comes with its own set of pros and cons. One thing that makes landraces a great strain to grow in your garden is their unique terpene profile. Landraces are unlike any hybrid marijuana strain you’ll ever try. This is because landraces adapted to less-than-ideal climates, which gave them a chemical makeup that’s different from the standardized strains we grow today.

However, growing your landrace or heirloom strain can be difficult. It’s especially true for sativa strains. They frequently trick many growers who don’t know how to tell when it is ready to harvest.

Landrace sativas have a long flowering period which will drive your patience thin. It also doesn’t help that by the end of its flowering period, its leaves will begin to fall off – which many growers mistakenly assumed as a sign that it’s ready to harvest. It isn’t! It’s a sign your landrace sativa plant is working on growing the flowers. By harvesting them at that stage, it would result in nothing but scrawny and sparse buds. Thankfully, growing indica landrace strains aren’t as difficult but can still be challenging in their own right.

Landraces were created to make growing marijuana easy and accessible to everyone, but they are more difficult to grow than most other strains. ILGM’s online store provides high-quality landrace seeds with superior genetics. They’ll help make difficult landrace strains a little easier to grow. To make things even easier for you, we've listed the three best landrace Cannabis strains for growing for you.

Afghan

Afghan is an indica landrace that originated near the Hindu Kush mountain range, which is where it gets its simple name. It’s prized as one of the best landrace Cannabis strains in the region for its rich resin content that creates a potent and sticky black hash. Nowadays, Afghan is considered to be one of the best landrace strains around for a relaxing experience.

Afghan feminized seeds

Afghan is a very popular indica heritage strain that delivers a heavy-bodied high. Afghan seeds grow large, fragrant buds known for their happy, relaxed effect.

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And there’s more to Afghan’s effects than a deep relaxation experience. Yes, while it is a potent strain that offers a strong body high, it won’t leave you couch-locked. Even after a few tokes, you’ll maintain a clear head and the ability to do menial tasks like house chores. All the while, you’ll enjoy euphoric feelings and an enhanced mood as your mind fills with happiness.

When it comes to taste, you’re hit with a rich, earthy flavor that indicas are known to have. The buds also have a potent, sweet aroma with a floral tinge that compliments the herbal and woody taste.

Because Afghan is an indica landrace, it’s a lot easier to grow than sativa landraces, so we recommend this strain for beginners. And unlike most landraces, which aren’t known for their resistance, Afghan carries a natural resistance to mold.

Afghan cultivar profile

Durban Poison

Durban Poison is a sativa landrace and one of the best landrace sativa strains to come out of the South African city that gave it its name. Despite its intimidating label and high THC content (20%), Durban Poison offers a smooth and delightful buzz. It has the typical sativa effect of a boost of energy, but it also draws out your creative side while elevating your mood with feelings of joy and happiness.

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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The best part of Durban Poison’s effects is that it keeps your mind clear, making it a great alternative to caffeine. It also doesn’t end in a crash once the high dies down. Durban Poison carries a terpene profile that will give you a sweet, pungent aroma and flavor. Adding to that, it has fruity and citrus undertones that will remind you of the idyllic beaches of the Golden Mile.

Growing Durban Poison is going to be a bit of a challenge. Since it’s a sativa landrace, expect that you’ll have to wait and continue tending to your Cannabis plants while they continue to grow their buds. However, ILGM carries a Durban Poison strain with a flowering period of about 8 weeks instead of the typical 14-16 weeks.

Durban Poison cultivar profile

Hindu Kush

Hindu Kush is another indica landrace and one of the best landrace indica strains because of how easy it is to grow. This kush strain originated from a 500-mile-long mountain range of the same name. It has a THC content of 18% and potent sedative properties. Even the most avid marijuana lovers will find themselves couch-locked and deeply relaxed with just a few tokes. It’s the perfect end-of-day strain as it puts you to sleep, making you feel blanketed in comfort and relief.

Hindu Kush feminized seeds

Any Cannabis that can take on the harsh conditions of this homeland's climate must be strong. This strain is conditioned to create crystal trichomes coats that protect it from its surroundings.

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There’s also more to Hindu Kush than providing a good night’s sleep. You’ll find that even on your most stressful days, you’ll feel relaxed and your mood elevated after smoking it. This is because it draws out feelings of euphoria and happiness. And as an additional benefit, you’ll find that it also helps improve your appetite!

Because of its harsh environment to adapt, this prized indica Cannabis developed a shorter flowering period. This was in response to the drastic temperature shifts as the season changes.  Hindu Kush also produces a thick coat of trichome crystals, which is where a lot of marijuana gets its psychoactive effects – and where Hindu Kush gets its potent sedative qualities.

Hindu Kush cultivar profile

Other Classic Strains to Grow

Though technically not landrace strains, there are some classics out there that also deserve some recognition. Allow me to highlight two of my favorites, Northern Lights and Maui Wowie.

Northern Lights

Northern Lights isn’t what you’d call a traditional landrace. This hybrid strain was made by crossing an unknown Afghani and Thai landrace. The result was an indica-dominant hybrid strain that a lot of people have considered as a landrace because of its parent and the fact that it is one of the weed strains that has greatly influenced the marijuana community. This popular strain took off because it revolutionized indoor growing. It was one of the first Cannabis strains tailored to grow indoors under grow lights.

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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The strain is easy to grow and maintain and is prized for a considerable yield of 12 to 16 ounces per 3x3ft. For these multiple reasons, Northern Lights became the standard for which other indica strains strive to measure.

When it comes to its effects, Northern Lights provides a well-balanced high that relaxes your whole self without leaving you couch-locked. Complimenting the strain’s sedative qualities is an earthy and sweet flavor with a hint of pine and citrus.

Northern Lights cultivar profile

Maui Wowie

Maui Wowie is a fun classic strain with a wild history. This sativa-dominant hybrid strain was supposedly discovered by Hawaiians on the island of Maui when they caught a whiff of something similar to the smell of grilled pineapple. It led them to a group of hippies that were smoking Cannabis, which was the one that was giving off the sweet and charred smell of roasted pineapples. It’s unknown whether the hippies were the ones who bred the Cannabis since Maui Wowie is a hybrid that’s 80% sativa and 20% indica.

Maui Wowie feminized seeds

Maui Wowie seeds come straight from the Hawaiian Islands and is widely used as a stress reliever that sends its users' minds to the imaginary beaches of its native land.

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We can tell you that this strain took off in Maui, wherein it grew unbothered for a couple of decades. One could even say that it was a landrace, considering it was discovered and cultivated on the same island. And just like the location where it was grown in, Maui Wowie offers a delightful experience that not only enhances your mood but also gives you a buzz of energy. It also brings out your creative side, while the high makes you feel as though you’re being carried away by the tropical winds.

The best part about this strain is its strong genetics, making it easy to grow. Not only can it thrive in temperate climates, but it’s also one of the few non-autoflower Cannabis strains out there that’s fast flowering.

Maui Wowie cultivar profile

Conclusion

Growing landrace strains and other classic strains means looking back on where the marijuana community first started. It also greatly helps keep the biodiversity of marijuana from fading since nowadays, a lot of landraces are becoming rare as not many people grow them anymore. You can grow any of the landraces and classic strains on this list, as well as top strains like Jack Herer and Super Silver Haze in ILGM’s online store.