What Does It Mean When Marijuana Leaves Turn Purple?
Article written by
Dipak HemrajHead of Research and Education
Content reviewed by
Dr. Lewis Jassey
Cannabis leaves turn purple due to cooler temperatures (typically below 65 degrees Fahrenheit) and/or the presence of a group of flavonoids called anthocyanins. While pleasing to the eye, weed with purple leaves is not inherently “better” or more potent than weed with green leaves.
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Why Some Cannabis Leaves Turn Purple
Purple cannabis is simply a cannabis plant where the leaves or buds take on purple coloration or shades of purple hue. This is usually due to the presence of anthocyanin, a water-soluble pigment. The more anthocyanin, the more purple the plant appears. Anthocyanins may appear red, blue, or black as well. They often appear in many fruits and vegetables, including berries, eggplant (aubergine), and purple cauliflower.
Cannabis is more likely to turn purple in colder temperatures, as cold breaks down chlorophyll (which is green) and allows anthocyanins to become dominant.
The Benefits of Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins are compounds called flavinoids that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In plants, anthocyanins attract pollinators and provide some protection against various stressors.
Additionally, anthocyanin specifically may have the following benefits:
- Anti-diabetic: anthocyanin may lower blood glucose and improve insulin resistance.
- Anti-cancer: anthocyanins may inhibit the spread of cancer cells.
- Antimicrobial: anthocyanins have been shown to be effective in preventing the growth of gram-positive bacteria.
- Antiobesity: anthocyanins regulate metabolic control and can reduce lipogenesis (fat creation), oxidative stress, and inflammation, which lead to obesity.
Anthocyanins may also improve blood lipid profiles and prevent certain cardiovascular diseases.
Popular Purple Weed Strains
Popular weed strains famed for taking on a purple hue (or even a purple shine) include:
- Purple Haze
- Granddaddy Purple (GDP)
- Mendocino Purps
- Grape Ape
- Purple Urkle
- Blackwater
- Purple Kush
- Sour Grape
- Purple Afghani
- Candyland
- Purple Skunk
- Purple Punch
- Hawaiian Purple
- Purple Berry
- Obama Kush
- Lavender (and Lavender Jones)
- Purple Diesel
- Purple #1
It is possible for many cannabis strains to get purple buds or leaves when they are grown in colder temperatures. However, the above varieties tend to express more purple hues, suggesting they contain higher levels of anthocyanins.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was the first purple weed strain?
It is difficult to point out which particular cultivar (strain) was the first to purposefully be grown for its purple color, but some suggest that the first was Purple #1, aka Purple 1, which has its roots in the growing scene of the 1980s. Purple #1 is a 50/50 indica-sativa hybrid that crosses Purple Afghani and some unknown indicas and sativas.
Jimi Hendrix also wrote a song called "Purple Haze," which some believe refers to a purple-colored variety of cannabis. However, it is more likely that the variety of cannabis known as "Purple Haze" came after the song, with some attributing the Haze Brothers and Sam the Skunkman for developing the Purple Haze strain in the 70s.
Purple varieties of cannabis have likely been available for a long time. Still, in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, breeders started to select specifically for purple hues in their plant profiles.