Understanding the different parts of a cannabis plant is key when you’re just starting out. You don’t need to be a plant biologist to grow great cannabis, but having a solid grasp of cannabis plant anatomy will help you make informed decisions at every stage of the process. Let’s go through the essential parts you’ll be dealing with.
- Cannabis Seeds: The Beginning of Your Journey
- Cannabis Roots: The Underground Lifeline
- Cannabis Plant Stem: The Plant’s Highway
- Nodes on Cannabis Plants: Where Growth Happens
- Branches: Supporting the Cannabis Plant
- Leaves: The Powerhouse of Your Cannabis Plant
- Bract: Protecting the Calyx
- Calyx: The Reproductive Organ’s Shield
- Pistil: The Reproductive Organ
- Stigma: The Hairy Helpers
- Cannabis Colas: Clusters of Buds
- Popcorn Buds: The Little Guys
- Trichomes: Where the Magic Happens
- Identifying Male and Female Cannabis Plants
- Wrap-Up: Understanding Cannabis Anatomy
Cannabis Seeds: The Beginning of Your Journey
Cannabis seeds are where it all starts. Inside, they hold the genetic code and nutrients your plant needs to begin growing. When given the right conditions—like warmth and moisture—the seed will crack open, and you’ll see its first root (the “radicle”) and first leaves (the “cotyledons”). These seeds are small but pack everything needed to kick off the growth process.
Cannabis Roots: The Underground Lifeline
Roots anchor the plant in place and help absorb and cycle water and nutrients from the soil. They also work with beneficial microbes in the soil to keep the plant healthy. Well-aerated soil and proper watering keep roots from drowning or rotting, which is crucial for strong growth.
Cannabis Plant Stem: The Plant’s Highway
The stem transports water, nutrients, and sugars between the roots and leaves. It also supports the branches and colas, helping the plant stay upright. A thick, healthy stem is a sign of a strong cannabis plant.
Nodes on Cannabis Plants: Where Growth Happens
Nodes on the stem and branches are the places where smaller branches, leaves, and buds grow. They help identify the plant’s age (when you count how many have developed along the main stem), and you need to learn how to identify when using training techniques like topping or pruning. You can also tell if your plant is male or female once it reaches the pre-flowering stage by looking at the nodes.
Branches: Supporting the Cannabis Plant
Branches grow from the nodes and hold up the plant’s leaves and buds. They allow the plant to spread out and capture more light, which is vital for growth. Training and pruning techniques can help distribute branches evenly for better light exposure.
Leaves: The Powerhouse of Your Cannabis Plant
Leaves are where photosynthesis happens, turning sunlight into energy. They also help regulate water loss through transpiration. Without healthy leaves, your plant won’t grow properly, so they’re a key part of keeping it thriving.
Cotyledon Leaves
These are the first leaves that pop out after the seed germinates (they’re also referred to as “seed leaves”). They’re small and round, providing the plant with initial nutrients until the “true leaves” (the ones that are jagged and look more like what you’d expect from cannabis) take over photosynthesis.
Fan Leaves
Fan leaves are the large, recognizable leaves of the cannabis plant. They’re responsible for photosynthesis, converting light into energy. While they don’t contain much THC, they’re crucial for the plant’s overall health.
Cannabis Sugar Leaves
Sugar leaves get their name because they grow close to the buds and are covered in trichomes – they look like they’re dusted with sugar crystals. These small leaves are often used to make concentrates like kief or hash.
Indica vs. Sativa: The Leaf Difference
Indica leaves are broad and wide, while Sativa leaves are narrow and thin. This generalization is used to make assumptions about how the plant will grow and what its effects will be. Indica plants tend to be thought of as shorter and bushier, while Sativa plants are taller and more slender.
Bract: Protecting the Calyx
A bract is a small leafy structure that encases the reproductive organs of the cannabis flower. They’re covered in trichomes and form the bulk of what we typically call the “bud.” Bracts are where the majority of the plant’s cannabinoids and terpenes are produced, and they protect the actual reproductive parts of the flower. A large number of healthy bracts is what growers aim for.
Calyx: The Reproductive Organ’s Shield
Calyx cells develop inside the bract. They are part of another protective layer for the delicate ovule (see “Pistils” below). This is called the perianth, and it’s very thin and hidden beneath the bracts.
A long while back, folks started referring to “swollen calyxs” (which you can’t actually see) to identify a stage of cannabis flower maturity. The term stuck, and now you can assume that if someone says “calyx,” they really mean “bract.” Feel free to correct ‘em, but in reality, we use shorthand and inaccurate terms to refer to plant parts all the time (like how a peanut is really a legume and a cannabis seed is really an “achene,” but are you going to fight about it?). Now that you know the truth, you can be part of changing the conversation and helping future growers get it right!!
Pistil: The Reproductive Organ
The pistil contains the reproductive parts of the plant: it consists of two “styles” that have hair-like stigmas at the end that run all the way down from the inside of the bract and attach to the Ovule. You can think of this as the “womb” of the cannabis flower, where the seed (if the plant’s pollinated) will form.
Stigma: The Hairy Helpers
Stigmas are small hairs that emerge from the pistil to catch pollen. They are an important indicator of your plant’s maturity. When unpollinated stigmas change from white (on some beautiful varieties, they can also be pink or purple) to orange or brown, you know your female cannabis plant is mature enough to consider harvesting the buds.
Cannabis Colas: Clusters of Buds
Spanish for “tail”, cannabis culture has adopted the nickname “cola” for sections of the plant where individual inflorescences (the “buds”) grow so closely together they look like one long, large flower. Colas form at the end of each branch as the plant matures. The “top cola” is the central, usually most visually impressive and potent, part of the cannabis plant.
Popcorn Buds: The Little Guys
Popcorn buds are smaller buds that grow lower on the plant – the name refers to their size. They don’t get as much light, so they tend to be less dense, but they’re still great for smoking or making edibles.
Trichomes: Where the Magic Happens
Trichomes are tiny, oil-filled glands that cover the buds and sugar leaves. They’re where cannabinoids and terpenes, which give cannabis its potency, flavor, and aroma, are produced. There are three main types of trichomes:
- Bulbous trichomes: The smallest and most difficult to see, these trichomes don’t have much impact on the plant’s potency.
- Capitate sessile trichomes: These are medium-sized trichomes, more visible, and play a bigger role in producing cannabinoids.
- Capitate-stalked trichomes: The largest and most important type, these trichomes are where most of the cannabinoids and terpenes are produced. They’re the frosty, sticky ‘crystals’ you see on buds.
Together, these trichomes create the signature resinous coating (the “sugar” or “frostiness”) that cannabis growers and connoisseurs love.
Identifying Male and Female Cannabis Plants
Knowing how to tell male from female plants is essential, especially if you’re growing for maximum effect. Female flowers produce the buds rich in cannabinoids that most growers want, while male flowers produce pollen. Identifying them early on can save you time and help prevent unwanted pollination.
- Male plants: Look for small, ball-like pollen sacs forming at the nodes. These sacs are designed to release pollen, which can fertilize female plants and cause them to produce seeds instead of resin-rich buds.
- Female plants: Female cannabis plants develop small, hair-like structures called pistils at the nodes. These white hairs are the first sign that you have a female plant and indicate that the plant is ready to produce flowers.
Being able to identify male and female cannabis plants is a key part of understanding the anatomy of a weed plant and managing your grow efficiently.
Pro Tip: Cannabis is actually more complex than simply being either male or female. To go beyond the basics and learn more, check out this link.
Wrap-Up: Understanding Cannabis Anatomy
Having a solid understanding of cannabis plant anatomy—from roots to top cola—will make your growing experience smoother and more successful. Knowing the different parts of a weed plant will help you troubleshoot issues, maximize yields, and get the best results from your grow. Take the time to get familiar with the anatomy of a weed plant, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a confident cannabis grower.
I want to learn more about marijuana
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We are here to help, but again, I strongly advise you to post your quesions in the grow forum.
All the leaves you asked about are the same thing. Sucker, Sugar, Water, Fan leaves; All the same. Perhaps someone is calling trim leaves with heavy trichomes “sugar” leaves. I don’t know.
Fans leaves are the heart and lungs of your plant; They help to draw fluids to the flowers, the bre4athe for the plant, and provide shade. Contrary to some opinions; It does not help the plant in any way to remove these leaves.
I see post about water leaf, sugar leaf, fan leaf ect. Could you please explain what each specific function is for those leaves and where they are located. Thanks.
Hi, just found you. Great info. I enjoy your articles. Its been 8 years since my last grow, I’m just a” homer”. Working on SOG with 16 girls. Wow! What a change from early 00’s with the avalibilty of information. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and information. Steph
Best thing for all you active posters is to join the forum and be recognized. You will get faster support there also. 🙂
Sugar water is useless, unless you want every bug and pest on the planet on your plants.
Growing in S. Africa is up to you. I have no idea what the climate is like in the Winter there. Can farmers grow Peppers, tomato’s, etc?
You never remove fan leaves unless they are damaged past the point of recovery. If you remove all your fan leaves, then the plant Does Not!; concentrate on flowers; It attempts to heal itself, taking away from flower production.
Does it help in any way to water your plants with sugary water? Also, in the Limpopo province in south Africa there is always a considerable amount of sun shine almost everyday in winter , now my question is is it safe to grow now in winter or should I wait a bit. Pliz help.
I have a lot of South African sativa seeds,mainly the swazi variety i would like to swop seeds,can you let me know if anybody is interested thank you
would like to swap beans with tommy, i have several different variety’s
Hi Robert
Following your tips and enjoying growing outdoors… Harvested too
First off let me say that I was very skeptical about ordering beans online; But after downloading the Grow Bible and reading some of the other reviews I jumped right in & Am I glad I did! I placed my order on 1/28 & on 2/1 I received my order which was so perfectly masqueraded. Great Job & will def be doing future business. I will update post once my new ladies are up an going…Thanks again Robert
Indoor growing/lighting….I am considering a 12″ by 12″ led panel with red, white, blue & orange lights . 4 different wave length to cover the various stages of growth. My question is, have you had any experience with this as this is my first attempt at growing anything in a 4by4 foot tent? Thank you in advance, I’ve waited 40 + years for this info to be free to the public.
I have a few questions about lighting I have 1000 50 watts of CFLs and my buds are not growing bigger I am using the marijuana booster as directed I’m in my third week of flowering any suggestions
Hello to all my fellow growers out there.
First want to say that I very much enjoy this site. Great guides to growing some beautiful ladies. My question was about “Gold Leaf***”. Is there anymore information about her. SOG? SCROG? heat/cold tolerance? Does she like to be topped? Supercropping? When does she turn gold? How is her stretch? Or perhaps the best would be, WWRD? (what would Robert do?)
What nutrients do you recommend in the last for weeks of growth ( hydroponic )
Hi Robert, your web site and the help you offer is amazing , I now really enjoy the growing process, nearly as much as the end product . You will be highly recommended .
Hi rob just got a few questions for you. I want to purchase some white widow and super skunk from you but how long will it take to send to Australia? Also do you have any coupons you can offer to secure my business?
Hi Chris,
I forwarded your message to Claire. For any questions about ordering marijuana seeds you can contact her at [email protected]
I am in week 4.5 of flower. Got to learn to lay off the water.Just received 20og and 10ss total turnaround 18 days sent cash.I love this guy Thanks.
Hi Robert,
I grew my first plants last year, eight total. I reviewed many sources for information and in the end chose to follow both you and Nebula Haze. You both offer clear, logical instructions and insight into the growth and harvest of quality plants. I have purchased seeds twice from you and I am a very happy customer. I grew outside in the wonderful California sun and harvested over 28 oz. of quality buds. Thanks for your dedication to this topic. I look forward to continuing my education and expertise with your help.
Thanks for all your positive reactions! Growing marijuana still is one of the best things to do! Using your hands, busy with nature while creating a beautiful product 🙂
@Kyltyk @Nadine
The opinions on trimming plants are still divided. Personally I think you should never trim large fan leaves because they produce more sugars than they use. If the leaf is useless, the plant will disregard it itself. For a better distribution of sugars (and a higher yield) you can trim the young, new foliage and stems. To get more insight on the sugar distribution I wrote this article: Distribution Of Sugars Within A Marijuana Plant
Grtz,
Robert
Along the lines of pruning while growing, how do you know which leaves to prune and which to leave. I would hate to remove the wrong thing and kill my plants. I have three healthy plant at about 30 inches in height. Very healthy looking. I have pruned some new growth at the top to encourage splitting growth, but I have not pruned anything else because I do not really know what I am doing lol this is my first grow attempt. Any info about pruning while growing would be appreciated. Oh, and great article, lots of useful info, thanks!
Robert the onlt thing i can say is AWESOME is what you are
Funny how Nebula was quick to respond. Lol I get a great deal of useful information from you AND the great genetics to make it all happen. I also get good info from Serius and Nebula but all they can do is refer u to Nirvana or some other seed bank. Thanks for all of you and your teams great work! Happy growin!
JBudz
since discovering your website I’ve gained valuable info on growing my own buds. and will continue to read your comments and articles. Thanks…..
Thanks 😉
Thank Budzu, spread the word…
what i would like to know is how do you check to see if your roots are healthy if your growing in soil and how do you know if yor plant is getting the right amount of nutrients and water
Hi Brad,
If the roots of your marijuana plant are not healthy, you usually see some discoloring of the leaves. Similar to underwatering sings. I will write an article about testing the pH and EC (ppm/TDS) of your soil and post the link here. Here’s an article about water and nutrient uptake
Robert
Here’s the article about measuring pH and TDS levels of your soil: Measure The pH and TDS Of Your Soil Regularly
Nice info!
A small correction for the biology enthusiasts – a cannabis plant doesn’t actually have a “trunk” since it’s not a tree, they have a long main stem with strong apical dominance.
Also, one last thing – more “fingers” on the leaves doesn’t necessarily mean one plant is stronger than the other – it has a lot to do with genetics, too. Some strains will never grow 13-finger leaves no matter what conditions they’re growing in, but that doesn’t mean they’re less healthy 🙂
Great reference and article – thanks for sharing!
Hi Nebula,
Good to see you here! I made some changes to the article thanks to your comments. How are things at growweedeasy? 😉
Robert
Hey Robert,
Having trouble reaching customer service on a issue. Could you ask them to contact me. You have my email address.
Thanks,
Victoria Lail