Sativa70% Sativa / 30% Indica15–25% THC

Lemon Haze

Breeder: Various (popularized as Super Lemon Haze by Green House Seed Co.)

Lemon Haze is a classic sativa-dominant hybrid that combines the bright citrus aromatics and more compact flowering traits of Lemon Skunk with the soaring cerebral energy of the Haze line. A staple of Dutch coffeeshop culture and a fixture in seed banks worldwide, it remains one of the most recognizable lemon-forward strains in cannabis. The closely related Super Lemon Haze variant (Lemon Skunk x Super Silver Haze) is one of the most decorated competition strains in history, winning back-to-back High Times Cannabis Cups in 2008 and 2009. Super Lemon Haze was created by Franco Loja and Arjan Roskam at Green House Seed Co. in Amsterdam by crossing Lemon Skunk with Super Silver Haze. Lemon Skunk contributed the vivid citrus terpene identity and productive flower development, while Super Silver Haze — itself a three-way cross of Haze, Skunk #1, and Northern Lights #5 — added the electric cerebral effect, vigorous stretch, and shorter flowering window compared to pure Haze lines (which can run 12+ weeks). The strain is commonly abbreviated SLH. THC typically ranges from 15–22%, with select phenotypes testing as high as 25%. CBD is negligible at under 1%. The dominant terpenes are terpinolene, beta-caryophyllene, limonene, myrcene, and ocimene, though ratios vary significantly by phenotype — some cuts are terpinolene-dominant while others lean limonene-forward. The net effect is a bright, energetic, uplifting high with creative stimulation and minimal body sedation, making it a benchmark daytime sativa.

Lineage

Lemon Skunk x Silver Haze

THC Range

15–25%

Flower Time

9-11 weeks

Difficulty

Moderate

Lineage & Genetics

Cross: Lemon Skunk x Silver Haze

Parent strains in encyclopedia:Lemon Skunk→Silver Haze→

Lemon Skunk is a lemon-phenotype selection from Skunk #1 genetics, contributing the sharp citrus terpene profile and improved structure over pure Haze. Silver Haze (Northern Lights #5 x Haze) provides the classic Haze cerebral energy, soaring sativa high, and resinous flower production. The combination tempers Haze's extreme flowering time while preserving its legendary mental effects.

Lineage Dispute

Standard Lemon Haze uses Silver Haze as the Haze parent. The more famous Super Lemon Haze variant (bred by Franco Loja at Green House Seed Co.) uses Super Silver Haze instead. Multiple Dutch seed companies produce their own Lemon Haze versions — there is no single original breeder for the standard cross.

Terpene Profile

DOMINANT

Limonene — Overwhelmingly dominant; drives the signature sharp lemon-citrus aroma that defines the strain

DOMINANT

Terpinolene — Herbal-floral with subtle citrus; contributes to the heady, uplifting cerebral effects

SECONDARY

Caryophyllene — Spicy-peppery undertone that balances the bright citrus top notes

SECONDARY

Myrcene — Light earthy sweetness that adds mild body relaxation to the otherwise cerebral experience

SECONDARY

Ocimene — Sweet minty-herbal accent that supports aromatic complexity

Aroma: Sharp, fresh lemon zest dominates — like cracking open a bag of lemon drops. Sweet citrus candy, herbal-floral undertones, and a faint skunky earthiness emerge underneath. The nose is immediately identifiable and intensely citrus-forward.

Flavor: Bright lemon and sweet citrus on the inhale with earthy and mildly skunky undertones. The exhale is clean and citrus-forward with a tangy lemon candy finish. Smooth, easy-smoking profile.

Effects & Experience

Onset: Rapid cerebral lift within minutes — a burst of euphoria, energy, and mental clarity that feels like a shot of espresso for the mind.

Strongly sativa-dominant: creative, focused, and socially energizing. Enhances conversations, artistic pursuits, and daytime productivity. Minimal body heaviness at moderate doses. Some users report mild anxiety or raciness at higher doses.

Duration: 2–3 hours of peak cerebral effects; the energetic quality tapers gradually without a heavy comedown.

Commonly Reported Uses

Stress reliefDepressionFatigueChronic painDaytime focus and creativity

Grower's Notes

Flower

9-11 weeks

Indoor Yield

600-700 g/m²

Outdoor Yield

800-1000+ g/plant

Difficulty

Moderate

Height / Stretch

Tall (5-7 ft indoor)

Environment

Indoor, Outdoor

Super Lemon Haze is a vigorous sativa-dominant hybrid (roughly 80/20 sativa-indica) that demands vertical planning from day one. Expect aggressive stretch during the first two weeks after the 12/12 flip — plants commonly double or even triple their pre-flower height, with finished indoor specimens reaching 5–7 feet even with training. The architecture is classically Haze: tall central cola, long internodes, and lateral branches that extend aggressively outward. Without intervention, the canopy will be uneven and light penetration poor, so topping early in veg and running a SCROG net are essentially mandatory for indoor growers. LST and strategic lollipopping of the lower third further improve airflow and redirect energy toward the upper canopy.

Nutrient Management

Yield potential is among the highest of any sativa-leaning cultivar. Indoor growers consistently report 600–700 g/m² under optimized LED lighting, and outdoor plants given a full season in Mediterranean or warm-temperate climates can exceed 1,000 g per plant. These numbers require attentive feeding. SLH is moderately nutrient-hungry: push nitrogen-heavy formulas through veg, then pivot to a high-P/K bloom feed at the flip. CalMag supplementation is critical in coco or hydro, and silica through the full cycle helps stiffen branches against the weight of the long, heavy colas that develop in weeks 7–10. Soil pH should sit at 6.0–6.5; coco and hydro runs target 5.5–6.0. Overfeeding is a real risk — the plant shows nutrient burn quickly, so ramp EC gradually and watch leaf tips.

Environment and Climate

Flowering runs 9–10 weeks for most phenotypes, with some longer-running cuts stretching to 11 weeks. Patience pays: harvesting early sacrifices the complex terpene development that defines this cultivar. Trichome targets should be mostly cloudy with minimal amber for the bright, cerebral effect the strain is known for. During bloom, hold daytime temps at 68–78°F and drop nighttime temps 5–10°F to encourage resin production. Humidity management is paramount — keep RH at 45–50% during mid-flower and taper to 35–40% in the final two weeks. The long, elongated colas are susceptible to botrytis if humidity spikes or airflow stagnates, and the dense trichome coverage can trap moisture between calyxes.

Growing Media

SLH performs well across all common media. Soil (living soil or amended peat blends) tends to produce the most complex terpene expression — the lemon-peel and haze-spice notes deepen with organic inputs. Coco-perlite (70/30) delivers faster veg growth and typically 15–20% higher yields with proper fertigation. Full hydro (DWC, RDWC) pushes yields to the ceiling but demands tight pH/EC monitoring; Green House Seeds themselves recommend hydro for this cultivar. For lighting, modern full-spectrum LEDs at 600–700 PPFD during early flower, ramping to 800–900 PPFD during peak bud development, deliver excellent results. CO2 supplementation to 1,200 ppm allows pushing PPFD toward 1,000–1,100 without photoinhibition.

Bud Structure and Trichomes

Bud structure is large, elongated, and moderately dense — not the rock-hard nugs of an indica, but far more substantial than a pure Haze. Mature flowers display a lime-green to pale-yellow base carpeted with frosty stalked-capitate trichomes and threaded with wiry pale-orange pistils. Some phenotypes express faint purple or lavender tones on outer bracts when exposed to late-flower temperature drops below 60°F, though this is not the norm. The resin coverage is heavy and uniform, giving strong bag appeal and excellent extraction potential.

Pest and Disease Resistance

Pest and disease vigilance is standard for any 9–10 week flowering strain. Spider mites, thrips, and aphids are the primary invertebrate threats; regular scouting and IPM with beneficial insects (predatory mites, ladybugs) keep populations in check. Powdery mildew is the chief fungal concern during veg and early flower — maintain airflow, avoid leaf wetness, and apply preventive potassium bicarbonate or biofungicide sprays before flowers form. Botrytis risk escalates in weeks 8–10 as colas reach full density; inspect inner cola tissue regularly and remove any affected material immediately. Outdoor growers in northern latitudes should plan to harvest by late October and watch weather forecasts closely — one prolonged rain event in late flower can trigger rapid bud rot.

Wash and Extraction

For solventless processing, SLH is a solid but not elite hash plant. Fresh-frozen bubble hash yields typically land at 3–5% of input weight, with standout phenotypes occasionally exceeding 5%. The uniform trichome head size facilitates clean separation in both ice water and dry-sift methods. Hash rosin pressed from quality 73–120 micron bubble at 155–165°F returns 55–65%, producing a bright lemon-curd and haze-spice concentrate with strong limonene and terpinolene retention. Flower rosin returns of 18–22% are achievable at 185–200°F.

Drying and Curing

Drying and curing are where SLH's terpene identity is won or lost. Whole-plant hang or branch-hang in total darkness at 60–68°F with 55–60% RH for 10–14 days preserves the volatile monoterpenes (terpinolene, limonene, ocimene) that define the strain's electric citrus nose. Rushing the dry above 75°F or below 45% RH will flatten the profile into generic hay. After stems snap cleanly, trim and jar-cure at 58–62% RH with Boveda or Integra packs, burping daily for the first week, then every few days for a minimum four-week cure. The citrus sharpens and the haze-spice undertone deepens considerably between weeks two and six of cure.

History & Origin

Lemon Haze emerged from the Dutch seed bank scene where multiple companies crossed Lemon Skunk with Silver Haze to create a citrus-forward sativa. The strain gained massive popularity through coffeeshop culture in Amsterdam. The most celebrated version — Super Lemon Haze — was bred by Franco Loja at Green House Seed Co. using Super Silver Haze as the Haze parent. Franco's Super Lemon Haze won 1st Place at the High Times Cannabis Cup in both 2008 and 2009, an extraordinary back-to-back achievement that cemented the Lemon Haze name as one of the most awarded sativa lineages in cannabis history. Amsterdam Genetics, Bulk Seeds, Royal Queen Seeds, and DNA Genetics all offer their own versions of the standard Lemon Skunk x Silver Haze cross.

Awards & Recognition

●1st Place — High Times Cannabis Cup, Amsterdam, 2008 (as Super Lemon Haze, Green House Seed Co.)
●1st Place — High Times Cannabis Cup, Amsterdam, 2009 (as Super Lemon Haze, Green House Seed Co.)
●1st Place — IC420 Growers Cup, Amsterdam, 2010 (Sativa, Breeders Cup)
●2nd Place — High Times Cannabis Cup, Amsterdam, 2010 (as Super Lemon Haze)
●2nd Place — Spannabis Cannabis Champions Cup, 2011 (Bio)
●2nd Place — Spannabis Cannabis Champions Cup, 2011 (Hydro)
●1st Place — High Times Medical Cannabis Cup, Seattle, 2012 (as Super Lemon Haze)
●2nd Place — ExpoGrow, Irún, 2012
●1st Place — ExpoGrow, Irún, 2013
●2nd Place — IC420 Growers Cup, 2015 (Coffeeshops)
●1st Place — High Times Cannabis Cup, Sativa, Massachusetts, 2021

Frequently Asked Questions

6 common questions about Lemon Haze

What is Lemon Haze and what are its genetics?

Lemon Haze is a sativa cannabis strain (70% Sativa / 30% Indica) bred by Various (popularized as Super Lemon Haze by Green House Seed Co.). It is a cross of Lemon Skunk x Silver Haze, testing at 15–25% THC. Lemon Haze is a classic sativa-dominant hybrid that combines the bright citrus aromatics and more compact flowering traits of Lemon Skunk with the soaring cerebral energy of the Haze line. A staple of Dutch coffeeshop culture and a fixture in seed banks worldwide, it remains one of the most recognizable lemon-forward strains in cannabis.

What does Lemon Haze smell and taste like?

Lemon Haze's dominant terpenes are Limonene, Terpinolene. The aroma is described as sharp, fresh lemon zest dominates — like cracking open a bag of lemon drops. sweet citrus candy, herbal-floral undertones, and a faint skunky earthiness emerge underneath. the nose is immediately identifiable and intensely citrus-forward.. The flavor profile features bright lemon and sweet citrus on the inhale with earthy and mildly skunky undertones. the exhale is clean and citrus-forward with a tangy lemon candy finish. smooth, easy-smoking profile..

What are the effects of Lemon Haze?

Rapid cerebral lift within minutes — a burst of euphoria, energy, and mental clarity that feels like a shot of espresso for the mind. Strongly sativa-dominant: creative, focused, and socially energizing. Enhances conversations, artistic pursuits, and daytime productivity. Duration is typically 2–3 hours of peak cerebral effects; the energetic quality tapers gradually without a heavy comedown.. Commonly reported uses include Stress relief, Depression, Fatigue, Chronic pain.

How hard is Lemon Haze to grow?

Lemon Haze is rated moderate difficulty. It flowers in 9-11 weeks, reaches tall (5-7 ft indoor) in height, and yields 600-700 g/m² indoors. Best suited for indoor, outdoor environments.

What are the parent strains of Lemon Haze?

Lemon Haze is a cross of Lemon Skunk and Silver Haze. Lemon Skunk is a lemon-phenotype selection from Skunk #1 genetics, contributing the sharp citrus terpene profile and improved structure over pure Haze. Silver Haze (Northern Lights #5 x Haze) provides the classic Haze cerebral energy, soaring sativa high, and resinous flower production.

Has Lemon Haze won any cannabis awards?

Yes. Lemon Haze has received recognition including 1st Place — High Times Cannabis Cup, Amsterdam, 2008 (as Super Lemon Haze, Green House Seed Co.); 1st Place — High Times Cannabis Cup, Amsterdam, 2009 (as Super Lemon Haze, Green House Seed Co.); 1st Place — IC420 Growers Cup, Amsterdam, 2010 (Sativa, Breeders Cup).

Sources & References (31)

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