The First Crosses: Landrace Hybrids of the 1980s

The idea

Landraces were hardy but often slow-growing or unpredictable for indoor cultivation. Breeders in the Netherlands and elsewhere began crossing them to get shorter plants, faster flowering and more resin, while keeping the flavour and effects people liked.

The early crosses

These first hybrids combined Afghan or Hindu Kush types with tall, sweet-smelling tropical strains. The result was plants that grew well indoors and produced strong, aromatic flower. Several names from that era became the parents of many later strains, and you can still find descendants on menus.

What changed

• Shorter, stronger plants. Better suited to growing under lights.
• More consistent results. Growers could repeat a good crop.
• A wider range of effects. Breeders could aim for relaxing, energising or balanced results.

Why it matters

Almost every well-known strain today traces back to those first careful crosses. Understanding them makes menu names less mysterious, because many are variations on the same family lines.

Breeding for the indoors

Growing indoors was popular in the Netherlands because of the climate and the limits on outdoor growing. Compact plants that flowered in a predictable number of weeks made a real difference to growers. Seed companies began to sell these selected lines, and the names spread through coffeeshop menus and, later, through the wider world.

How to read a family tree

Strain descriptions often list two or three parents. When a name appears again and again, it is a foundation strain. Look for those names to see how a strain is likely to taste and feel.

Read on about the 1990s, or go back to where it all began.