Flower, also known as “bud,” is the trichome-rich part of the female cannabis plant that clusters into colas. Flower contains cannabinoids and terpenes which can get you high or offer medical benefits. Cannabis flower is usually smoked in pipes, bongs, joints, blunts, etc., and can be used to make extracts.
“Dabs are too much for me—I love smoking flower.”
What is flower?
Only female cannabis produce flower, and today, they are usually grown alone, without males to pollinate them, so they produce flower without seeds, or sinsemilla.
The trichome-rich flowers are the main part of the plant consumed or made into extracts because they have the highest amount of cannabinoids, terpenes, and other active compounds. Other parts of the cannabis plant have some of these compounds, such as sugar and fan leaves, though significantly less. Those can be sold as “trim” and used for hash, edibles, or pre-rolls.
Cannabis flower is often a shade of green but can be found in a variety of colors: purple, orange, blue, and even black, depending on growing conditions and genetics. Flower can range in density from hard nugs that need to be broken up in a grinder, to light, airy buds that can easily be broken up by hand. Different strains will also have a heavy or light amount of trichomes.