The Black strain is a dark-pigmented cannabis cultivar best known for purple-to-nearly-black foliage and a reputation for relaxing, sleepy effects. Its exact origin is disputed: consumer databases associate different versions with BC Bud Depot and Deep Ellum Seed Co. THC figures also vary by source and batch, so the strain name alone cannot guarantee potency or chemistry.
The Black Strain at a Glance
| Trait | The Black |
|---|---|
| Common name | The Black, sometimes simply Black |
| General type | Commonly described as indica-leaning |
| THC | Variable; current database figures differ |
| Appearance | Dark purple to nearly black foliage |
| Reported effects | Relaxed, sleepy, euphoric |
| Reported flavors | Woody, tea-like, earthy or sweet depending on source |
| Flowering | Around 8–10 weeks in some breeder/database descriptions |
| Genetics | Disputed; more than one version exists |
The most important line in that table is genetics: disputed.
Recommended Strains
Black Cherry Punch Fem
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THC | 25% - 26% (High) |
|
Lineage | Black Cherry Pie x Purple Punch |
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Type | Feminized |
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Height | 5.74 ft | 1.75 m |
|
Yield | High |
|
Yield Indoor | 2.13 oz/ft² | 650 g/m² |
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Yield Outdoor | 42.33 oz/plant | 1200 g/plant |
|
Flowering Time | 8 - 9 weeks |
|
Phenotype | 80% Indica / 20% Sativa |
|
Effects | Calming, Euphoric, Relaxed |
|
Flavors | Earthy, Fruity, Sweet |
Black Domina Seeds
|
|
THC | 18% - 22% (Medium) |
|
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Lineage | NL x Afghani x Ortega x Hash Plant |
|
|
Type | Feminized |
|
|
Height | 6.56 ft | 2 m |
|
|
Yield | High |
|
|
Yield Indoor | 1.31 - 1.8 oz/ft² | 400 - 550 g/m² |
|
|
Flowering Time | 7 - 9 weeks |
|
|
Phenotype | 90% Indica / 10% Sativa |
|
|
Effects | Relaxed, Giggly, Happy |
|
|
Flavors | Pepper, Pine, Earthy, Spicy |
There is no universal cannabis naming system guaranteeing that every product labeled The Black comes from the same genetic material. A large 2022 analysis of 89,923 commercial cannabis samples found that strain names and other commercial labels do not consistently correspond to underlying chemical profiles.
That limitation is particularly relevant for The Black because multiple databases document competing versions.
What Is The Black Strain?
The Black is a cannabis cultivar name associated with exceptionally dark flower and foliage.
Leafly currently describes The Black as a strongly indica-leaning cultivar associated with BC Bud Depot, whose leaves can progress from dark purple toward nearly black during flowering. Its user-reported effects most commonly include sleepiness, relaxation and euphoria.
However, that is not the only version of its history.
Weedmaps identifies The Black as the flagship strain of Deep Ellum Seed Co. and describes a lineage built from Afghan, Vietnamese and Mexican material. It also notes a historical dispute over the cultivar between Deep Ellum and a Canadian seed bank.
SeedFinder makes the ambiguity even clearer by listing multiple separate cultivars under the name The Black, including versions attributed to BC Bud Depot, Deep Ellum Seed Company and other breeders.
So The Black is a recognizable commercial strain name, but it should not be presented as one perfectly standardized genotype.
What Are The Black Strain Genetics?
There is no single lineage that can be stated with complete confidence.
The Deep Ellum version is described as descending from Afghani × Mexican material from Michoacán/Oaxaca × Green Vietnamese, with breeder material tracing the project to the mid-2000s. SeedFinder records that lineage for Deep Ellum’s version.
Leafly, meanwhile, associates its The Black profile with BC Bud Depot and describes a late-1980s origin connected with California and Vancouver Island without publishing a comparable parentage formula.
These histories are not readily reconciled.
For that reason, I would not write:
“The Black is definitely X × Y.”
The more accurate wording is:
Several versions of The Black circulate in cannabis databases, and their documented origins do not fully agree.
That caveat is especially important when buying flower or seeds based only on a cultivar name.
Why Is The Black Strain So Dark?
The cultivar is named primarily for its very dark pigmentation.
Cannabis can accumulate anthocyanins in leaves and floral tissues, producing red, purple and very dark purple coloration. Scientific studies have confirmed that anthocyanin biosynthesis is strongly involved in pigmented cannabis phenotypes and identified cyanidin-related compounds in colored tissues.
That pigmentation can become visually dark enough to appear almost black.
The Black’s reputation is therefore plausible from a botanical standpoint, but an important distinction remains:
black-looking cannabis is generally extremely dark purple rather than literally producing a black pigment.
Genetics play a major role in whether a plant expresses those colors. Environmental conditions can influence pigment expression, but cold temperatures should not be presented as the sole cause of black cannabis.
The current article states that black strains get their coloration from high anthocyanins “in cool climates.” That oversimplifies the biology. Recent cannabis research shows substantial genetic regulation of anthocyanin accumulation as well.
Does The Black Strain Have High THC?
Do not assign The Black one permanent THC percentage.
Leafly’s current profile lists approximately 16% THC, while other commercial databases report figures closer to 20%.
That disagreement is exactly why cultivar pages should avoid presenting one database number as an intrinsic property of every plant sold under the name.
THC concentration varies with genotype, phenotype, cultivation, harvest, post-harvest handling and the individual tested batch.
Commercial strain naming also has limited chemical consistency. In the large U.S. cannabis analysis mentioned earlier, samples sharing commercial labels did not always map consistently to the same chemical profiles.
If exact potency matters, a batch-specific certificate of analysis is more useful than the name The Black.
What Does The Black Strain Feel Like?
Current Leafly user reports most commonly associate The Black with:
- sleepiness;
- relaxation;
- and euphoria.
Those are consumer-reported experiences, not clinically established effects.
That distinction matters.
The current Growlantis page repeatedly converts strain reputation into claims about pain relief, anxiety, sleep and specific therapeutic outcomes. I would remove those claims completely.
People can experience the same cannabis product differently, and products sharing the same strain name may differ chemically.
The safest editorial formulation is:
The Black has a longstanding reputation as a relaxing, evening-leaning cultivar, but individual effects vary and the label does not guarantee sedation.
Is The Black an Indica?
It is commonly marketed as indica or strongly indica-leaning, particularly in the BC Bud Depot/Leafly version.
But that label should not be treated as a scientific prediction of chemistry or effects.
Large-scale chemical analysis has found that the familiar indica, hybrid and sativa labels align poorly with the actual cannabinoid and terpene diversity of commercial cannabis.
There is also another wrinkle with The Black specifically: Deep Ellum’s own historical description says its ancestry contains substantial material normally characterized as sativa-type even though the plant reportedly grows with a compact, indica-like structure.
So “indica” is useful as commercial shorthand, but it should not be used as proof of genetics or guaranteed effects.
What Does The Black Strain Taste Like?
Flavor descriptions vary by source, which again suggests that not every product labeled The Black is identical.
Leafly’s current user data emphasizes tea, woody and chestnut-like notes.
Other databases describe grape, berry, earthy, spicy or sweet characteristics.
Rather than choosing one description and presenting it as universally correct, I would summarize the strain as generally associated with earthy, woody and sweet or dark-fruit notes, depending on the version and batch.
The real aroma of a particular flower depends on its volatile chemistry.
That chemistry should be measured in the product itself rather than inferred solely from the cultivar name.
What Terpenes Are in The Black?
Leafly currently lists myrcene, terpinolene and ocimene in its The Black profile.
I would not turn those into a fixed terpene hierarchy for the cultivar.
Different producers can sell chemically different products under the same strain name, and terpene profiles can vary substantially among commercial cannabis samples. The 2022 nationwide analysis found that strain naming is not sufficiently standardized to guarantee consistent chemistry.
If you are evaluating a specific The Black product, check its lab terpene panel when one is available.
That is more informative than assuming every phenotype is myrcene-dominant simply because one database says so.
The Black Strain vs Black Domina
The Black and Black Domina are different strain names.
The current article heavily features Black Domina and effectively treats it as representative of The Black keyword.
That should stop after reoptimization.
Black Domina is its own cultivar with its own commercial history and lineage. The Black is a separate name with disputed versions associated with BC Bud Depot and Deep Ellum.
Their similar dark-themed naming does not establish that they are interchangeable or closely related.
If Growlantis already has a Black Domina product page, it can be linked once as a comparison, but it should not occupy a major section of this article.
The Black vs Other Black Weed Strains
The Black should also be distinguished from the broader idea of black weed strains.
Names such as Black Cherry Soda, Black Diesel, Black Cherry Punch and Black Domina refer to separate commercial cultivars. A plant can also develop extremely dark purple coloration without having “Black” anywhere in its name.
“The Black strain” therefore refers to a named cultivar or group of similarly named breeder versions.
“Black cannabis strains” is a broad visual category.
The current article mixes those two intents throughout the page.
For this keyword, the exact cultivar should dominate the page.
How Long Does The Black Take to Flower?
The commonly cited flowering period is approximately 8–10 weeks, but that figure applies to particular breeder/database versions rather than every plant sold under the name.
Leafly gives an 8–10 week maturity window for the version associated with BC Bud Depot. Deep Ellum’s historical description gives approximately 8–9 weeks for its own version.
The agreement is useful for planning, but it still should not become a guaranteed harvest date.
Environment and phenotype can alter development.
Use breeder timing as an estimate and judge plant maturity from the actual crop.
Is The Black Difficult to Grow?
There is not enough consistent evidence to label The Black universally easy or difficult.
Different databases describe different versions, and there is little controlled cultivation research specifically on this named cultivar.
That means claims such as high yield, exceptional resilience, easy cultivation or adaptation to diverse environments should be avoided unless tied explicitly to a particular breeder’s description.
The original article makes broad claims that black strains generally need cooler conditions, specific humidity ranges, pruning and tailored nutrient programs.
None of those requirements defines The Black.
If growing a specific seed line, follow the breeder information for that line and adjust according to actual plant response.
Does Cooler Weather Make The Black More Black?
Cool conditions can influence anthocyanin expression in many plants, but they are not the sole reason cannabis turns purple or black.
Cannabis pigmentation is under meaningful genetic control. Recent work comparing differently pigmented cannabis varieties found strong associations between anthocyanin accumulation and expression of multiple biosynthetic genes.
Environmental cues can modify the pathway, but deliberately stressing a plant with extreme cold is not required to prove that the genetics are “black.”
If a The Black phenotype naturally expresses high anthocyanin pigmentation, cooler late-flowering conditions may alter its appearance, but the genetics provide the underlying capacity for that coloration.
Is The Black Strain Rare?
It is less ubiquitous in modern retail catalogs than mainstream names such as Blue Dream, Gelato or Wedding Cake, but “rare” is difficult to quantify.
One reason the name can seem elusive is that multiple historical versions and breeder claims exist.
SeedFinder currently catalogs several distinct The Black entries rather than one single standardized cultivar.
That also means finding flower labeled The Black does not prove it descends directly from whichever historical version a consumer has in mind.
If provenance matters, look for breeder information rather than relying only on the display name.
The Black Strain: Bottom Line
The Black is best understood as a dark-pigmented cannabis cultivar name with a complicated and disputed history.
Leafly associates a popular version with BC Bud Depot and describes it as strongly indica-leaning, dark purple-to-black and commonly reported as relaxing or sleepy. Weedmaps and SeedFinder preserve a competing Deep Ellum history involving Afghan, Mexican and Vietnamese ancestry.
Those conflicting histories should not be hidden.
Cannabis strain names are not standardized genetic certificates, and large-scale chemical research confirms that commercial names do not consistently predict chemistry.
The most defensible description is therefore:
The Black is known for unusually dark anthocyanin-rich pigmentation and an evening-oriented consumer reputation, but its exact genetics, THC level and chemical profile depend on the specific version and batch.
FAQs About The Black Strain
What is The Black strain?
The Black is a cannabis cultivar name associated with extremely dark purple-to-nearly-black foliage and a reputation for relaxing effects. Its exact history is disputed: Leafly connects a well-known version to BC Bud Depot, while Weedmaps documents Deep Ellum Seed Co.’s competing origin story. Multiple breeder versions are also listed by SeedFinder.
What strain is The Black?
The Black is usually marketed as an indica or indica-leaning cannabis strain, but its genetics are not standardized. Deep Ellum describes one version as Afghani combined with Mexican and Vietnamese material, while other databases associate the name with BC Bud Depot without the same published lineage. The exact version therefore matters.
How much THC is in The Black strain?
There is no universal THC percentage. Leafly currently lists about 16% THC for its The Black profile, while other databases publish higher figures. Cannabis chemistry varies between batches and producers, and commercial strain names do not reliably guarantee one chemical profile, so lab results from the actual product are more useful.
Why is The Black strain black?
Its very dark appearance is associated with anthocyanin pigmentation in cannabis tissues. Scientific research confirms that anthocyanin biosynthesis drives red and purple cannabis phenotypes and is strongly influenced by genetics. Extremely concentrated dark-purple pigmentation can visually appear nearly black, although “black” is primarily a descriptive cultivar name rather than a separate botanical pigment category.
What are The Black strain effects?
Leafly users most often report sleepy, relaxed and euphoric experiences with The Black. These are consumer reports rather than guaranteed or clinically established effects. Individual response varies, and products sold under the same strain name can differ chemically, so The Black should not be presented as a proven treatment for sleep, pain or anxiety.
Is The Black the same as Black Domina?
No. The Black and Black Domina are separate commercial strain names. The current Growlantis article treats Black Domina as one of several “black strains,” but that broader category is different from the exact search intent for The Black strain. Similar dark coloration or naming does not make the two cultivars genetically equivalent.
