Black Strawberries

Black Strawberries is a mostly sativa variety from Riot Seeds and can be cultivated indoors (where the plants will need a flowering time of ±70 days), outdoors and in the greenhouse. Riot Seeds' Black Strawberries is a THC dominant variety and is/was also available as feminized seeds.

Riot Seeds' Black Strawberries Description

Black Strawberries is an indica-dominant progeny of parent strains Strawberry Cream and Blackberry. With a THC content of only 7%, she offers a soothing and subtle high that keeps the body and mind functional. In addition to this mild effect, a unique terpene profile makes Black Strawberries attractive to those seeking novel flavors and aromas.

Strain History of Black Strawberries

Many smokers and growers opt to consume and cultivate heavily marketed genetics that widely circulate the cannabis space. This means that not all well-known strains are of high quality, and not all offbeat strains are of low quality—they often just lack advertising. Black Strawberries hasn’t scooped up any cannabis cups or prestigious awards, but instead remains just under the radar of the majority of cannabis enthusiasts. However, according to many that have sampled these buds, this doesn’t detract from the cultivar's quality one bit. So, where did Black Strawberries come from?

This strain is one of many creations by Riot Seeds, a punk rock-themed seed bank situated in Europe. The company has developed a large collection of their own genetics and those of other breeders, totaling over 150 unique cultivars. Within their archive, Black Strawberry stands as a fruity indica-dominant hybrid. Now that you’re aware of her origins, check out the genetics that breeders used to bring her into the fold.

Genetic Lineage of Black Strawberries

After deciding what traits they wanted to see expressed in Black Strawberries, breeders set about determining the best parent strains for the task at hand. First, they decided to recruit Strawberry Cream—a notoriously fruity sativa-dominant hybrid. With a THC content that hovers around 17%, she offers a moderate high that puts users in the mood to get things done without rendering them too high to function. Her giggly and talkative high makes her a stellar smoke before social gatherings. High levels of the aromatic terpenes myrcene and pinene offer equal parts relaxation and mental clarity.

Strawberry Cream provided a promising genetic foundation for Black Strawberries, but breeders still needed to source the remaining 50% of the progeny's genome. To fulfill this obligation, they selected Blackberry as the second parent strain. This offspring of Black Domina and Raspberry would bring some much-needed sedation and relaxation into the equation, ultimately rounding off Strawberry Cream’s effect with a complementary body high.

Physical Characteristics of Black Strawberries

As a hybrid, Black Strawberries possesses characteristics from both her sativa and indica ancestors. However, when it comes to morphology (shape, structure, and size), her indica inheritance shines through stronger. She exhibits a stocky and bushy appearance; her canopy grows almost as wide as it does tall, her fan leaves are broad with thick leaflets, and her internodes are relatively short.

As such, she’s certainly compatible with small growing spaces, but cultivators need to exercise due care to allow proper light exposure and air circulation throughout her canopy. This is particularly true during the later flowering stage where fungal pathogens pose a considerable threat to the quality of a harvest.

Properties and Effects of Black Strawberries

By modern standards, Black Strawberries has a rather low THC content of 7%. This trait has certainly limited the popularity of this cultivar, as many contemporary cannabis users seek out far stronger strains to suit their developed tolerance. However, Black Strawberries still appeals to certain users, for exactly this reason! Take a few hits of these buds and you’ll feel a light and clear cognitive effect paired with a soothing physical sensation. You’ll feel it enough to know that you’re high, but not enough to undergo the gauntlet of red eyes, dry mouth, and ravenous munchies.

Black Strawberries’ THC content doesn’t act alone to produce her effects. A battery of terpenes also contribute to the high while also offering pleasant scents and flavors. These molecules include:

• Pulegone: This minty and slightly bitter terpene produces a cooling sensation and possesses anti-inflammatory properties.

• Myrcene: Also found in hops and mangoes, this fruity aromatic molecule endows Black Strawberries with a slightly stoning effect.

• Phellandrene: This rather rare aromatic component imparts a sharp, woody, and citrusy flavor. It also produces a physically soothing effect when smoked.

• Linalool: This common cannabis terpene serves up tastes of citrus and stress-busting cognitive effects.

Uses of Black Strawberries

So, when should you bust open a jar or bag of Black Strawberries flowers? Well, these buds are suitable for all sorts of different occasions. From a recreational perspective, many users enjoy the effects of Black Strawberries when they’re looking for a minor high that will allow them to get on with their day as normal. A small joint or quick vape hit on the way to work or during a lunch break will elevate the mind slightly—enough to inspire creativity and boost motivation without becoming cerebrally compromised.

Black Strawberries’ subtle effects also make the strain a viable option for medical marijuana patients. The buds offer varying levels of relief from different symptoms without getting the user too high in the process. Users report that Black Strawberries can help to take the edge off stress, migraines, and pain.

Cultivation of Black Strawberries

Black Strawberries’ indica morphology makes her a good choice when dealing with limited space or looking to maintain a low profile. Indoors and outdoors, plants grow to a maximum height of 160cm; apply training techniques early in the vegetative phase to keep specimens as small as 80cm throughout the growing cycle. Indoors, you can expect to harvest an average of 300g/m² under good lights after a flowering period of 48–59 days. Outdoors, ensure plants are raised in fertile soil and exposed to as much sun as possible, and you’ll come away with around 400g/plant in late September.

Black Strawberries: Sweet and Underrated

Black Strawberries delivers something much different from many modern hybrids. Instead of extremely high levels of THC, she offers a seemingly insignificant 7%. It might seem small, but her fruity, herbal terpene profile synergizes with the cannabinoid to produce a creative and subtle high ideal for daytime recreational use and the management of stress. Her bushy indica morphology makes her a good candidate for small spaces and stealthy growing operations.

• Black Strawberries »»» Strawberry Creme x Blackberry
• Strawberry Creme
  • »»» Erdbeer x Unknown Strain
  • Erdbeer
    • »»» Unknown Sativa x Afghanistan Probably
    • Unknown Sativa »»» Sativa
    • Afghanistan Probably »»» Indica
  • Unknown Strain
• Blackberry
  • »»» The Black x Afghani
  • The Black probably
    • »»» Afghani x Mexican Landrace Michoacán/Oaxaca x Green Vietnamese probably
    • Afghani (specified above)
    • Mexican Landrace Michoacán/Oaxaca »»» Sativa
    • Green Vietnamese »»» Indica/Sativa Hybrid
  • Afghani
    • Afghanistan Probably Indica »»» Indica

Map of the Black Strawberries Family Tree

Click to show all parents of Black Strawberries in our dynamic family tree map.