Cherry Pie
Also known as: Cherry Kush, Pink Cookies
Breeder: Ken "PieGuy" Dumetz (Powerzzzup Genetics) and Jai "Jigga" Chang (Cookie Fam), San Francisco Bay Area
Cherry Pie is a heritage indica-dominant hybrid that helped define the modern dessert-strain era. Created in the early 2000s by the Cookie Fam collective in San Francisco, it bridged Granddaddy Purple's deep indica genetics with Durban Poison's sativa vigor, producing a cultivar with visual bag appeal (purple-tipped, trichome-coated buds with rust-orange pistils) and a balanced high that starts cerebral and settles into full-body relaxation. Its cultural significance extends beyond its own merits: Cherry Pie is a direct parent of Wedding Cake (Cherry Pie x GSC) and a foundational building block in the lineage that produced Sunset Sherbet, Gelato, and the broader Cookies genetic library.
Lineage & Genetics
Cross: Granddaddy Purple x F1 Durban Poison
Granddaddy Purple (GDP): bred by Ken Estes in 2003, Bay Area. Lineage is Purple Urkle x Big Bud. Contributes dense bud structure, purple/anthocyanin expression, grape-berry flavor foundation, myrcene-heavy sedative terpene profile, and indica body effects. THC 17-23%. F1 Durban Poison: a first-generation stabilized cross from selected South African sativa landrace parents. Contributes cerebral uplift, energizing onset, anise/licorice/spice terpene notes (terpinolene, ocimene), structural vigor, faster finishing than pure sativa, disease resistance, and phenotype predictability. THC 15-25%. The F1 designation indicates a controlled first-generation cross, giving more uniformity than a wild landrace seed lot.
Terpene Profile
Myrcene — 0.8-1.2% — Earthy, musky, ripe fruit, herbal; sedative, muscle relaxant, enhances cannabinoid absorption
Beta-Caryophyllene — 0.4-0.9% — Peppery, spicy, woody, clove; anti-inflammatory CB2 agonist, gastric protective
Alpha-Pinene — 0.1-0.3% — Fresh pine, evergreen, sharp; bronchodilator, alertness, memory retention
Limonene — 0.1-0.3% — Citrus, lemon zest; mood elevation, stress relief, antibacterial
Linalool — <0.1% — Floral, lavender; anxiolytic, sedative synergy
Aroma: Sweet cherry pie filling (the strain's namesake), tart berry, baked pastry crust, underlying earthy/musky notes from myrcene, peppery spice on the break. Some phenotypes express a subtle gas/diesel undertone from the Durban side. Post-grind aromatics intensify into cherry/berry with grape Kool-Aid notes from GDP heritage and subtle nag champa/incense backend.
Flavor: Inhale delivers sweet black cherry, sour pie cherry, and berry compote. Exhale reveals earthy/herbal notes with peppery warmth and pastry-dough sweetness lingering on the palate.
Effects & Experience
Onset: Initial cerebral uplift within 5-15 minutes — mood elevation, giggly euphoria, enhanced creativity and social energy. The Durban Poison parentage shows most prominently here.
Balanced hybrid state: mental stimulation remains while body relaxation builds progressively. Users report feeling happy, functional, and physically at ease without couch-lock at moderate doses. Leafly user reviews: 39% relaxed, 31% euphoric, 31% happy. At higher doses, myrcene dominance pushes toward sedation and sleep.
Duration: 1.5-3+ hours total. Physical effects outlast cerebral effects by approximately 1 hour.
Commonly Reported Uses
Grower's Notes
HUMIDITY CONTROL IS CRITICAL: Cherry Pie's dense, tightly-packed buds trap moisture internally, creating ideal conditions for Botrytis (bud rot). Below 50% RH in flower is non-negotiable. Target humidity by stage: seedling/early veg 60-65%, mid-veg 55-60%, late veg/pre-flip 50-55%, early flower (wk 1-3) 45-50%, mid flower (wk 4-6) 45%, late flower (wk 7-10) 40-45%.
Nutrient Management
FEEDING: Cherry Pie is moderately hungry but sensitive to nutrient burn. Veg phase use NPK ratio ~3-1-2, start at 1/4 strength for seedlings, increase to 1/2 by week 2, full by week 3-4. Supplement with Cal-Mag throughout (especially in coco). Add silica to strengthen cell walls and help branches support heavy colas later. Transition to bloom formula NPK ~1-3-2. Maintain Cal-Mag. Mid-to-late flower: watch for leaf tip burn — Cherry Pie prefers light feeding in late flower. Reduce nitrogen significantly to prevent green flavors and help natural senescence. Consider micronutrient supplements (zinc, manganese, iron).
FLUSH
5-7 days minimum with plain pH'd water before harvest; some growers prefer 2-3 weeks. Fan leaves should be yellowing/fading naturally by harvest day. Soil pH must stay 6.0-6.5 strictly — Cherry Pie is prone to nutrient lockout outside this range.
Growth Structure and Training
TRAINING: Top once above the 4th-5th node to break apical dominance; can top a second time for 4 main colas. LST (Low-Stress Training) is very effective — begin in early veg. SCROG is highly effective — stretch trellis net at canopy height, weave branches through during first 2 weeks of flower stretch. Prefer leaf tucking over heavy defoliation — Cherry Pie relies heavily on fan leaves for energy storage. Tuck leaves below bud sites to expose them to light instead of cutting. Avoid aggressive defoliation (stripping >30% of fan leaves at once stresses this cultivar). SOG also viable.
Pest and Disease Resistance
PEST MANAGEMENT: Spider mites are the most common pest due to dense canopy creating protected microclimates — weekly neem oil during veg only, cease all sprays once flowers form. Introduce Phytoseiulus persimilis (predatory mites) for chemical-free control. Monitor leaf undersides weekly with a loupe. Powdery mildew thrives in high humidity + poor airflow — maintain RH below 50% in flower, oscillating fans at canopy level, potassium bicarbonate spray weekly during veg, introduce beneficial microbes (Bacillus subtilis, mycorrhizae). Botrytis (bud rot) is the #1 threat during late flower due to extreme bud density — humidity control is paramount, supplement with strategic lower-canopy defoliation, monitor by breaking open suspect buds, remove affected material immediately if detected.
Flowering Time and Harvest
HARVEST TIMING: Use a jeweler's loupe or USB microscope. Target mostly milky trichomes with 10-20% amber for balanced cerebral + body effects. >30% amber produces more sedative couchlock (CBN conversion). Pistils 70-80% darkened and curled inward. Many growers prefer not to overrun the finish window — pushing past 65 days can flatten the sweet terpene top-notes into generic earthiness.
Drying and Curing
DRYING: 60°F (15°C), 55% RH, complete darkness, 10-14 days. Gentle airflow — fans should NOT point directly at hanging buds. Do NOT jar until smaller stems snap cleanly (the snap test). Dry trimming tends to preserve terpenes better for this cultivar.
CURING
Glass mason jars at 75% capacity. Week 1 burp daily for 15-30 minutes, weeks 2-4 burp every 2-3 days, week 4+ burp weekly. Minimum 4-week cure recommended, optimal 6-8 weeks for full terpene expression. Boveda 62% packs for consistent moisture. Store at 60-70°F in dark location.
Color Development
PURPLE EXPRESSION: Drop nighttime temperatures by 10-15°F during the last 2 weeks of bloom (target 55-60°F nights) to trigger anthocyanin genetics from GDP. Daytime temps should remain normal.
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID
Overwatering (lift pots to gauge weight, water when top 1-2 inches dry), overfeeding in late flower (reduce feed weeks 7-8, flush before harvest), high humidity during bloom >55% (use dehumidifier + aggressive exhaust), heavy defoliation (tuck leaves instead), harvesting too early (wait for 10-20% amber trichomes), harvesting too late >65 days (flat/earthy terpene profile), fast-drying at high temp (destroys terpenes — slow dry at 60°F/55% RH for 10-14 days minimum), jarring too wet (mold in cure jars, entire harvest lost — snap test MUST pass), ignoring lower canopy airflow (defoliate lowers strategically, oscillating fans at pot level), skipping silica supplementation (branches snap under heavy cola weight in late flower).
History & Origin
Early 2000s: Ken "PieGuy" Dumetz crosses GDP x F1 Durban Poison in the San Francisco Bay Area. Jai "Jigga" Chang immediately begins cultivating and stabilizing the genetics within the Cookie Fam collective. Mid-2000s: Cherry Pie spreads across California dispensaries, gaining mainstream popularity for its dessert-like aroma, visual appeal, and balanced effects. 2010s: Becomes a cornerstone breeding strain, used to create Wedding Cake, contributing to the explosion of dessert/cake genetics. 2014: Wins 3rd Place, Medical Sativa at the Denver High Times Cannabis Cup. Present: Remains a staple heritage cultivar with 305+ documented crosses on PhenoDB. The original PieGuy/Jigga cut is clone-only; seed versions from various banks are S1 reversals or polyhybrid approximations.
Awards & Recognition
- ●3rd Place, Medical Sativa — Denver High Times Cannabis Cup 2014
Notable Crosses
Strains bred using Cherry Pie as a parent:
Frequently Asked Questions
7 common questions about Cherry Pie
What is Cherry Pie and what are its genetics?
Cherry Pie is a hybrid cannabis strain (60-80% Indica / 20-40% Sativa) bred by Ken "PieGuy" Dumetz (Powerzzzup Genetics) and Jai "Jigga" Chang (Cookie Fam), San Francisco Bay Area. It is a cross of Granddaddy Purple x F1 Durban Poison, testing at 16-24% THC. Cherry Pie is a heritage indica-dominant hybrid that helped define the modern dessert-strain era. Created in the early 2000s by the Cookie Fam collective in San Francisco, it bridged Granddaddy Purple's deep indica genetics with Durban Poison's sativa vigor, producing a cultivar with visual bag appeal (purple-tipped, trichome-coated buds with rust-orange pistils) and a balanced high that starts cerebral and settles into full-body relaxation.
What does Cherry Pie smell and taste like?
Cherry Pie's dominant terpenes are Myrcene, Beta-Caryophyllene. The aroma is described as sweet cherry pie filling (the strain's namesake), tart berry, baked pastry crust, underlying earthy/musky notes from myrcene, peppery spice on the break. some phenotypes express a subtle gas/diesel undertone from the durban side. post-grind aromatics intensify into cherry/berry with grape kool-aid notes from gdp heritage and subtle nag champa/incense backend.. The flavor profile features inhale delivers sweet black cherry, sour pie cherry, and berry compote. exhale reveals earthy/herbal notes with peppery warmth and pastry-dough sweetness lingering on the palate..
What are the effects of Cherry Pie?
Initial cerebral uplift within 5-15 minutes — mood elevation, giggly euphoria, enhanced creativity and social energy. The Durban Poison parentage shows most prominently here. Balanced hybrid state: mental stimulation remains while body relaxation builds progressively. Users report feeling happy, functional, and physically at ease without couch-lock at moderate doses. Duration is typically 1.5-3+ hours total. physical effects outlast cerebral effects by approximately 1 hour.. Commonly reported uses include Stress relief, Anxiety, Depression, Chronic pain.
How hard is Cherry Pie to grow?
Cherry Pie is rated easy to moderate difficulty. It flowers in 8-10 weeks, reaches medium (3-5 ft indoor) in height, and yields 14-16 oz/m² indoors. Best suited for indoor, outdoor environments.
What are the parent strains of Cherry Pie?
Cherry Pie is a cross of Granddaddy Purple and Durban Poison. Granddaddy Purple (GDP): bred by Ken Estes in 2003, Bay Area. Lineage is Purple Urkle x Big Bud.
What strains were bred from Cherry Pie?
Cherry Pie has been used as a parent in several notable crosses, including Wedding Cake (Triangle Mints #23), Forbidden Fruit, Cherry Punch, Cherry Kush, White Cherry Runtz. Its genetics contribute to a wide range of modern cultivars.
Has Cherry Pie won any cannabis awards?
Yes. Cherry Pie has received recognition including 3rd Place, Medical Sativa — Denver High Times Cannabis Cup 2014.
Sources & References (26)
- Cannapedia.ai — Cherry Pie strain page
- Weedmaps — Cherry Pie strain information
- Leafly.ca — Cherry Pie strain page & user reviews
- Hyperwolf.com — Cherry Pie strain profile
- STIIIZY.com — Cherry Pie blog entry
- Rare Harvest — Cherry Pie genetics & lineage (2026)
- Strainpedia.com — Cherry Pie comprehensive profile
- MMJ.com — Cherry Pie terpene profile & THC data
- Happy Times Cannabis — Cherry Pie dispensary profile
- Terpene Belt Farms — Terpene-rich cannabis strains guide
- True Terpenes — Cherry Pie terpene strain profile
- Hypno Seeds — How to Grow Cherry Pie (2026 grow diary)
- Blimburn Seeds — Cherry Pie OG grow guide
- STRNG Seeds — Cherry Pie for first-time growers
- Leafwell — Cherry Pie cultivation profile
- Buy Cannabis Seeds — Cherry Pie step-by-step grow guide
- Dope THC — Cherry Pie 2025 growing guide
- 808 Genetics — Cherry Pie clone description
- Hey Abby — Cherry Pie strain review
- PhenoDB — Cherry Pie genetic lineage database (305 crosses)
- Northern Standard — Wedding Cake lineage
- Valley Greens — Runtz family / White Cherry Runtz
- Hypno Seeds — GSC Crosses 2026 guide
- Seven Leaves CA — Cannabis pest & pathogen management
- ILGM — Powdery mildew on cannabis guide
- Fun With Dizzies — Cherry Pie effects guide
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