Most strain names make more sense once you know the family they belong to. A handful of lineages, developed from the 1970s onwards, sit behind thousands of modern strains. Here is a short history of the big families and where to find them in our shop.
Kush
“Kush” comes from the Hindu Kush, the mountain range across Afghanistan and Pakistan where hardy, resinous landrace cannabis grew for centuries. Seeds from the region reached Western breeders in the 1970s and became the foundation of countless indica-leaning hybrids.
OG Kush, which appeared in the United States in the 1990s, is the family’s most famous modern member; its exact parents are still debated. Its descendants are everywhere in today’s strain lists.
Explore: Hindu Kush, OG Kush, Bubba Kush, and the full Kush Seeds breeder range.
Haze
Haze was developed in California in the late 1960s and 1970s by crossing landrace sativas from places such as Colombia, Mexico, Thailand and South India. It became the cornerstone of sativa breeding, especially after its genetics reached the Netherlands in the 1980s.
Famous descendants include Jack Herer, named after the American activist and author; Super Lemon Haze; Amnesia Haze; and Purple Haze.
Skunk
Skunk #1 was created in California in the 1970s from Afghan, Acapulco Gold and Colombian Gold genetics. It was one of the first truly stable hybrids and was taken to the Netherlands, where it became one of the most influential strains in breeding history.
The UK has its own Skunk story: Exodus Cheese, the famous pungent “Cheese”, is widely described as a Skunk #1 selection. Skunk genetics also sit behind countless other modern hybrids.
Northern Lights and White Widow
Northern Lights emerged from Afghan genetics in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and became one of the best-known strains of the Dutch seed scene. It is a parent of many hybrids, including Northern Lights x Big Bud and, with Haze and Skunk, Jack Herer. White Widow, a Brazilian sativa crossed with a South Indian indica, became a 1990s Amsterdam classic and is the parent of lines such as White Widow Haze.
Diesel and Chem
Chemdawg appeared in the United States in the early 1990s and is known for a sharp, fuel-like aroma. It is widely believed to be an ancestor of Sour Diesel and is often linked to the OG Kush family too, making it one of the most important modern lineages.
Cookies, Gelato and the dessert strains
Girl Scout Cookies came out of California in the late 2000s and is usually described as a cross of OG Kush and Durban Poison. It launched a whole family of “dessert” strains: Gelato lines, Wedding Cake and many more. Fruit-forward strains such as Zkittlez followed the same Californian trend; find them in our Cali strains range.
Why strain families matter to collectors
Knowing the family helps you read a strain name and its listed parents, and to spot how one breeder’s version compares with another’s. Many families also come in autoflowering and triploid versions. To understand the labels used alongside these names, see indica vs sativa vs hybrid.
Frequently asked questions
Why do so many strains have the same name?
Different breeders release their own versions of famous strains, so you will find several “Northern Lights” or “Gelato” listings. Each is that breeder’s own selection; check the breeder on the product page.
What is the oldest strain family?
Landraces such as Hindu Kush are far older than any modern strain. Among bred hybrids, Haze and Skunk #1 are two of the earliest and most influential.
Triploid strains from Satdica Bulk Seeds
The great strain families are now appearing in triploid form too, with three sets of chromosomes rather than two. From Satdica Bulk Seeds you will find OG Kush Triploid from the Kush family, Amnesia Triploid from the Haze line, NYC Diesel Triploid from the Diesel family and Gorilla Cookies Triploid from the Cookies line. Browse the full Triploid Seeds range or read our guide to triploid cannabis seeds.
The best seeds to buy
To collect strains from these families, we recommend Freedom of Seeds and our own Satdica Bulk Seeds as the best seeds to buy; the Satdica Cali strains cover many of the modern lines above. Satdica Bulk Seeds is our house brand, with more than 300 strains in packs from 1 to 100 seeds. Freedom of Seeds also stocks over 90 other breeders, and every order comes with free seeds.
A note on the law
Freedom of Seeds sells cannabis seeds as souvenirs and collectibles for adults. In the UK, buying and owning cannabis seeds is not an offence because the seeds contain no controlled substances, but germinating or cultivating them without a Home Office licence is illegal. The same applies in many other countries, so please check and follow your local laws. Nothing on this site is growing advice or medical advice.
