Opium
Indica 50 / Sativa 50
Origins: mostly sativa mother / reversed mostly indica female plant
Flowering: 60 days
Harvest: mid October
This bittersweet 50/50 hybrid is the result of a cross between a mostly sativa mother selected for her potency and short bloom period, and a mostly indica “reversed” female “father”. A versatile plant, Opium can be grown indoors, or outdoors when the region is comparable to France – warm and sunny, generally between the latitudes 50 degrees North and South. She can also be grown as a sea of green or multi-branch plant depending on how long you vegetate her.
Opium has at least one characteristic in common with its namesake, beyond the interesting flavor – a large top flower. On all of the phenotypes observed, her calyx-to-leaf ratio is very high. Huge bracts pile up on each other, all wearing fine looking trichome coats – the biggest colas that the breeders at Paradise Seeds have ever seen. When allowed to grow as a multi-branch plant, the branches become profuse. One experienced grower respectfully calls this branchy phenotype “the totem”.
When raised hydroponically or on coco, Opium performs phenomenally in terms of manageability and vigorous growth. Pruning the lower third of a well-constituted plant will ease the manicuring process and really valorize her monstrous top colas and huge surrounding bracts. Given time to mature, the final look and feel of her buds says “quality” – a pale green cured flower with a silverish sheen and subtle shades of mixed colors. Her smell is also exponentially enhanced after proper curing and can become harder to mask.
Opium’s fragrance and tastes are composed mostly of fruit, although they traverse a range of exotic, terpene-induced associations. While most plants have a creamy tropical punch taste, one phenotype leans toward with a noticeably different, astringent grape taste. The “grapey” plants can often be identified by the beautiful purple and pink notes in their coloring.
Opium is a majestic plant, with intense smoke from loftoff to landing, Opium does not leave you crashing on the ground at the end of the ride. Her sativa heritage registers in every cell of your body, lifting you up with ana amazing cerebral high complete with visuals and racing thoughts. Given the right setting, she is a bright daytime smoke, although she may lead you to play hooky after lunch.
Second Place, High Times Cannabis Cup, Seed Bank Sativa, 2006.