Because of the novelty of purple weed, some people have tried to “coerce” some strains into turning purple by subjecting them to harsh conditions. Like skin color, the color of different strains of weed is in their genetics. Needless to say, strains that lack anthocyanin cannot be manipulated into turning purple.
Here are a few of the popular purple strains that you should know about:
• Granddaddy Purple
• Purple Afghan Kush
• Purple Trainwreck
• Purple Haze
• Purple Bud
• Rare Darkness
• Shaman
• Purple Ryder Auto
• Violet Kush Auto
What Makes Some Strains Of Weed Purple?
Anthocyanin is responsible for the purple hues in the above strains. Depending on the pH, anthocyanin will cause different color changes. When the pH is too acidic, the color will be red, alkaline pH will cause blue color formation while a neutral pH will cause purple.
While the plant is growing, the predominant color is green because of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is essential for capturing sunlight for photosynthesis. During the fall, chlorophyll is broken down and other flavonoids take over. That’s why you see plants blossoming in beautiful hues during fall.
Weed strains that turn purple during fall are genetically predisposed to this because they contain anthocyanin as the predominant flavonoid.
Just as the green color of chlorophyll serves a purpose, the purples and oranges and yellows are there for a reason. These bright colors attract insect pollinators by making the plants look attractive.
