Last Updated February 18th, 2023: Do you want to grow cannabis and live in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States? Are you wondering where to start and what strains you can successfully grow in such a cool, wet climate? It can be difficult to grow cannabis in this region because there is a lack of sunlight due to cloudy weather, freezing temperatures in any season but summer, and very short time to manage outdoor growing operations when the weather is nice enough. If you’re looking for more specific results, we do have a page specifically about outdoor strains to grow in Washington! Still, there are strains that you can grow in the Pacific Northwest that will work during the right season outdoors and indoors at any time of year. Here are the five best strains to grow in the Pacific Northwest.
And the Best Outdoors Strains For the Pacific Northwest Are…
| Strain | THC % | Indica/Sativa | Yield | Flowering Time |
| Super Skunk | 14% | Indica | 5-15 Oz Per Plant | 7-10 Weeks |
| Blue Cheese | 19% | Indica | 5-15 Oz Per Plant | 7-10 Weeks |
| White Widow | 19% | Indica | 5-15 Oz Per Plant | 10-14 Weeks |
| Durban Poison | 20% | Sativa | 19 Oz Per Plant | 9 Weeks |
| Northern Lights | 18% | Indica | 5-15 Oz Per Plant | 7-10 Weeks |
Let’s discuss each one of these strains below.
Northern Lights
Developed in Holland, the Northern Lights strain is a cross between Thai sativa and Afghani indica. This strain has a split of 10% sativa and 90% indica, making it an ideal strain to consume if you have chronic pain or struggle to sleep well. Northern Lights smells of the earth, but has a flavor that boasts sweet undertones of candy. You’ll experience a euphoric, relaxed high that will have you waking up feeling well rested in the morning.
The Northern Lights strain is an autoflowering plant that is a summer must for outdoor growth in cold climates, but it can be grown successfully indoors, too. The flowering time is around 7-9 weeks, and it grows to a size that is suitable for keeping inside.
White Widow
White Widow took center stage in 1995 when it was first released. It’s a nearly perfect strain with a 40% sativa/60% indica split that is derived from its parent plants, the South Indian and South American strains of cannabis. The aroma of White Widow is particularly smelly, like a skunk, but it has flavors that come across as if you’ve gotten into fresh fruit or poured out some sweet spices.
Many consumers choose to smoke White Widow for the crazy high, but it is also commonly used to treat chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. If you need a calming start to a long day, smoke this strain first thing in the morning and you’ll have just that. As it relates to growing, the White Widow strain is good one to start with, and since it’s resistant to mold, cold, and bugs, and flowers in 8-10 weeks.
Blue Cheese
A hybrid strain between the original Cheese strain cultivated in the UK and the blueberry strain, the Blue Cheese strain is very relaxing with a 20% sativa/80% indica split. The plant smells uncannily like cheese, but when consumed tastes more like blueberries. When you smoke the Blue Cheese strain, you’ll taste the fruit with a cheesy undertone. The high indica content of the strain makes it ideal for use when you simply want to sleep better or need a good mood booster.
If you choose to grow Blue Cheese cannabis, you’ll be happy to know that the strain is mold resistant and grow well in cooler temperatures, so it’ll be acceptable to work with in the short growing season in the Pacific Northwest. It can also be grown indoors, and flowers in 8-10 weeks.
Super Silver Haze
Super Silver Haze has gotten the world talking, and managed to snag the first place prize at the High Time Cannabis Cup in ‘97, ‘98, and ‘99. It is a strain concocted from the genes of the Skunk No. 1 and the Haze strains. It leans heavily in the column of sativa with a 70% sativa/30% indica split, so it produces a pretty mind-bending high. Don’t worry, though. You won’t be stuck on the couch! It’s meant to be relaxing without making you feel heavy.
Aromatically, Super Silver Haze comes across a bit primal with no sweet tones, but a recognizable smell that crosses between diesel, sage, skunk, and spice. That taste of it is different, boasting herbal, sour flavors with citrus notes. It’s commonly used to help with pain and fatigue with a euphoric effect. If grown indoors, this strain flowers in 9-11 weeks, or around October if grown outdoors, but is not going to be easily done outdoors in an opposite climate of what is needed.
Super Skunk
Super Skunk came about in the 90s, as a cross between Skunk No. 1 and Afghani to be a hybrid with a wicked smell to match the name. It’s got a 60% sativa/40% indica genetic split, which was exactly what the breeders had aimed for. The flavors of Super Skunk are earthy, yet sweet, and the high is liable to leave you glued to a cushion.
Most used for pain relief, you’ll find that users of Super Skunk like it because they find that they function better when they’re able to focus without dealing with their physical pain. This is a good strain to get a hold of first thing in the morning to clear your head or help you relax when you’re ready to call it a day. Growing Super Skunk in the Pacific Northwest would be pretty suitable since the strain grows best when it has warmth in the day and cool in the night, and the changing light won’t have much effect on it.
What Strains Will You Grow In The Pacific Northwest?
The five strains we’ve covered here are some of the easiest ones that you’ll be able to grow if you live in the Pacific Northwest. They’re fairly easy to grow, they can all thrive indoors, and they all produce the kinds of benefits and effects that cannabis users look for. Picking out plants that autoflower and grow quickly, in just a few short weeks, makes growing easy, fast, and potentially profitable. Test out your green thumb with Northern Lights, White Widow, Blue Cheese, Super Silver Haze, or Super Skunk, and get to growing!
Resources:
https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/northwest/topic/agriculture-northwest
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