What are Phenos?

If you’ve found yourself – intentionally or otherwise – on the path to becoming a cannabis connoisseur, there’s a certain word that you may have heard being bandied about. That word is pheno, sometimes heard in the context of pheno hunting.

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It may be difficult to fully grasp the meaning of pheno from context clues alone. So, we’re here to explain: what are phenos in weed? And how do they affect you and your purchasing decisions?

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The first thing one often looks for in a cannabis strain is the concentration of cannabinoids like THC and CBD, as well as whether the strain is indica, sativa, or a hybrid. Typically, sativa is said to be more uplifting and energizing, whereas indica is said to be more sedating. We always list these features in our strain library, because they are some of the most reliable indicators for predicting your weed experience.

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But there’s so much more to different cannabis strains than just THC concentration! Understanding phenos may help open a whole new world to your cannabis experience.

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What are Phenos?

The term pheno, which sounds like trendy insider weed slang, is actually short for a word you’re probably familiar with: phenotype. Ring any bells from high school biology?

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Phenotype and genotype are often introduced alongside each other. If you need a refresher, genotype is the genetic code or DNA of an organism. Phenotype is the way the traits actually manifest. For example, sometimes multiple different genotypes can result in the same phenotype (or physical/observable trait) due to the presence of recessive genes. This is illustrated in the diagram below:

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This is true for people, but also for plants, including cannabis.

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In the world of cannabis growing and breeding, breeders are “on the hunt” for certain desirable traits. This gives you, as a consumer, options.

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Here are some examples of different phenotypes that breeders might look for as they breed new cannabis strains:

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• ‍Variations of cannabinoid concentrations. Often, the first thing we check for in a cannabis strain is how much THC and other cannabinoids are present. This is one of the primary characteristics of weed, and many people understand their personal preferences in this context. For example, some plants are bred to have maximum THC content, whereas others are bred to have a better balance of cannabinoids.‍
• Different flavor profiles. Part of the marketing for different cannabis strains almost always involves some description of the flavor – whether it be “fruity” or “piney” or “earthy.” These flavor profiles are due to the presence of different concentrations of aromatic compounds, such as terpenes. Those aromatic terpenes are, in fact, a phenotype expressed by the plant.‍
• Terpenes and other “entourage” compounds. Beyond contributing to the flavor, additional compounds present in the plant may also play a role in the theorized “entourage effect.” This is the idea to explain why plants with similar cannabinoid concentrations can still exert dramatically different experiences on the body and mind. The idea is that other compounds in the plant, while not psychoactive in themselves, may interact synergistically to produce an overall effect.‍
• Appearance. As any foodie knows, appearance is the beginning of your sensory experience. That’s why another big part of strain characterization is the color and appearance of the dried plant. When you look at a strain library (such as the one on our website), you will often see a description of the color, size, and distribution of the buds.‍
• Time to maturation. This one is more of a practical consideration for growers. The fact is, some plants take longer to mature than others – not unlike people. A grower may prefer a plant that grows more quickly to allow for a faster production schedule.‍
• Resilience. If you’ve ever tried to grow a garden, you know that resilience is an important factor as well. The most delicious cultivar won’t do you any good if it is susceptible to pests, fungus, and rough environmental conditions. Growers try to select for plants that will weather well in the face of adversity.‍
• Other plant features. There are yet more plant phenotypes that a true botanist will also be interested in cultivating. These include things like: plant structure, resin production, and flower and trichome appearance.

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What is Pheno Hunting?

Now we have a basic understanding of what phenos are. But how do breeders go about selecting these phenos?

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First of all, new cannabis cultivars can be created by crossing a male and female plant so that the child plant inherits traits from both parents. Some of this is guesswork, and some comes from the experience of the breeder in knowing which plants might make a good combination.

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To make things more complicated, seeds can be stable or unstable. If they’re stable, that means that all of the seeds of a single cultivar will produce plants with the same phenotype. If they’re unstable, the seeds of a single cultivar can result in plants with multiple different phenos.

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Each seed is planted and observed during the entire growth cycle, with careful note taking. This way, the breeder has data on not only the characteristics of the fully matured plant, but also important growth factors. Remember that things like resilience and time to maturation, as well as anatomical features of the plant, are also important considerations for any grower.

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Additionally, male and female plants must be separated during growing to ensure that no accidental cross-pollination occurs.

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The growers are looking for characteristics that are not only “desirable” (which can sometimes be quite subjective), but are also most representative of the cultivar itself. Often, the selected pheno is labeled as a number following the cultivar.

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Before choosing the favorite phenos, the plants must also be harvested, dried, and prepared. The way they handle this processing is just another important feature of the plant characteristics.

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At this point, the breeder can choose favorites to pursue for mass cultivation and marketing. Sometimes more than one seed will be chosen as a favorite, which is why you sometimes see more than one product with the same name – but different numbers following the name. The number is indicative that these are different phenos are the same cultivar.

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How To Use Your Newfound Knowledge About Phenos

Cannabis cultivation and cannabis experience is a whole world of its own – not so different from wine tasting, and other more traditional pastimes. If you’re interested in delving deeper into this world, hopefully, you feel a little bit more educated after reading this article.

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Reading is helpful, but the experience is irreplaceable. If you’re interested in trying different cultivars and phenos, you should check out our newly released strain library. Try a few strains, and see where your experience takes you.

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As always, if you have any questions about this topic, or any of our products, please feel free to contact us for a free consultation.