{"id":9885,"date":"2025-01-30T08:00:17","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T13:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?p=9885"},"modified":"2026-04-06T07:43:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T11:43:50","slug":"why-turn-purple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/growing-cannabis\/why-turn-purple\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Some Cannabis Plants Turn Purple?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever looked at cannabis plants before they are harvested, dried, and cured? If you have, you would agree that there are some very exotic and beautiful varieties of cannabis, such as purple buds. However, you may find yourself wondering why some plants take on a purple hue. If so, let us set the record straight, since inaccurate information surrounding these enticing purple plants can still be easily found.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

When people talk about <\/span>purple cannabis<\/span><\/a>, you may picture something in your head that doesn’t quite match reality. Purple-hued cannabis can present itself in lighter and darker varieties, some of which may even appear black. Despite the discrepancies in hues, purple cannabis is no less impressive than it sounds. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Before we get into why the cannabis community has fallen for purple buds, we first need to explore why these buds take on their unique tinge.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

What is Purple Weed?<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

Purple weed categorizes a variety of <\/span>cannabis strains<\/span><\/a> (breeds of the plant <\/span>cannabis sativa<\/span><\/i>) characterized by distinctive purple or violet hues on the plant\u2019s flowers, leaves, and stems. Some people are devoted fans of purple strains, with rumors abound that purple cannabis is \u201csuperior\u201d in quality or perhaps even produces a \u201cbetter\u201d high. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

However, despite the hype, there is no evidence that these strains contain any special high-enhancing or medicinally significant compounds that other cannabis plants do not. Namely, purple cannabis strains do not necessarily have their own unique cannabinoid or terpene concentrations that make these strains radically different from green strains. <\/span><\/p>\r\n

Most likely, people who report increased benefits from purple weed may just prefer the effects provided by strains that also happen to be purple, which are often Indica strains (though not every strain of purple weed is an Indica). Thus, devotees of purple cannabis varieties often report therapeutic benefits that are effective at treating conditions like chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia. Although they are good qualities for cannabis to have, these benefits should not be attributed to some purple magic contained in these colorful buds.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

What Makes Weed Plants Turn Purple?<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

Simply put, cannabis can turn purple due to <\/span>high quantities of compounds known as \u201canthocyanins<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Anthocyanins are a class of water-soluble compounds responsible for red, purple, and blue hues present in many of the fruits and vegetables that we eat, as well as in certain cannabis strains. In cannabis plants, the compound can turn the cannabis leaves and buds into a variety of purples and blues, which may even appear dark green and black.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Anthocyanins belong to a phytochemical group known as <\/span>flavonoids<\/span><\/a>, which can also be found in cereals, teas, and nuts.\u00a0<\/span>The cannabis plant also has a high quantity of two chemical groups known as<\/span> cannabinoids and terpenes<\/span><\/a>, and trailing shortly behind these cannabinoids and terpenes in terms of quantity is the flavonoids.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Research published in 2004<\/span><\/a> revealed that anthocyanins may enhance the \u201chealth-promoting qualities\u201d of the substance it\u2019s in. This could account for why the purple buds have gained popularity in the cannabis community, aside from the fact that they are beautiful to look at too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Anthocyanins have been used in traditional herbal medicines for many centuries by cultures including Native Americans, Indians, Europeans, and the Chinese. These herbal medicines, rich in anthocyanin, were often derived from dried leaves, berries, storage roots, and even seeds. The compound was used as a treatment for a variety of ailments and conditions ranging from hypertension, liver disorders, and bladder problems to the common cold and infections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Reports of anthocyanins\u2019 health benefits even include improvements in vision and the circulation of blood. However, despite these medicinal benefits, researchers are unsure as to whether the apparent health benefits are due to the compound itself or whether it is due to the synergistic interactions between anthocyanins and the other compounds found in the plants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

How Does Cannabis Get Its Color?<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

Factors such as pH levels, temperature, and light will ultimately influence how the anthocyanins will impact the actual pigments of the plant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Acidic conditions are considered to have a low pH, while alkaline conditions are considered to have a high pH level. Lower pH levels are likely to bring out varieties of red, while higher pH levels will bring out varieties of blue\/purple.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

You need to choose the right strain since genetics determines anthocyanins.\u00a0The varieties of the purple hue in some cannabis buds are dependent on the concentration of anthocyanins circulating throughout the plant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As stated before, the cold breaks down chlorophyll, which then allows the colorants from the anthocyanins to show. Be sure to avoid damaging your plant with too much cold. If you are trying to get your plant to turn colors, note that colder temperatures cause a chlorophyll breakdown, providing plants with their green coloring. By breaking down the chlorophyll, the plant is then allowed the opportunity to display the hues it\u2019s been hiding. However, the quantity of anthocyanins needs to be high in order for any color to come through at all, and this will be determined by the genetics of the plants. Thus, getting beautiful purple plants requires a perfect combination of genetics and environmental factors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Note that the cannabis plant does not turn purple due to being stressed. If you try to force the change of color by depriving the plant of nutrients, it will become sick and die.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Myth or Fact?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Any strain can be made purple.<\/td>\r\nMyth<\/strong><\/td>\r\nYou need to choose the right strain since genetics determines anthocyanins.\u00a0<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
The strain will go purple when deprived of nutrients (stressing the plant).\u00a0<\/td>\r\nMyth<\/strong><\/td>\r\nThe cannabis plant does not turn purple due to being stressed. If you try to force the change of color by depriving the plant of nutrients, it will become sick and die.\u00a0<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
The strain will turn purple in the cold.<\/td>\r\nMyth<\/strong><\/td>\r\nAs stated before, the cold breaks down chlorophyll which then allows the colorants from the anthocyanins to show. Be sure to avoid damaging your plant with too much cold.\u00a0<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Cannabis can turn purple by freezing it.<\/td>\r\nMyth<\/strong><\/td>\r\nFlash freezing and ice water flushes are more likely to expose your plant to great risks of getting sick and dying This is the \u201ctoo much cold\u201d that you have been warned against.\u00a0<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
The pH levels will influence the color of my plant.\u00a0<\/td>\r\nFact<\/strong><\/td>\r\nAcidic conditions are considered to have a low pH while alkaline conditions are considered to have a high pH level. Lower pH levels are likely to bring out varieties of red, while higher pH levels will bring out varieties of blue\/purple.\u00a0<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What Are The Best Purple Weed Strains?<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

Many cannabis strains are more purple in color. Some of them are so well-known for their color that it becomes part of their name, such as:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n