Anise Cannabis Seeds

What gives cannabis that liquorice smell?

It's the terpenes doing the heavy lifting. Cannabis plants make over a hundred different terpenes, and each strain has its own mix, a bit like a fingerprint.

When there's a plant that smells like anise, it's usually because there's plenty of terpineol in the blend. Terpineol brings that minty, liquorice sweetness along with hints of lilac and apple blossom, and you'll find it in strains like Girl Scout Cookies, Jack Herer, and OG Kush.

In those, it sits alongside pine and fruit notes, but in anise-forward plants it really takes centre stage.

Most cannabis leans on myrcene, a terpene that makes up a big chunk of the smell in loads of strains and brings earthy, musky, clove-like vibes. Anise types go a different route.

They pile on terpineol and a few other herbal compounds, so instead of that typical skunky or fruity smell, you get something sweeter and spicier.

It's layered, too: there's still a bit of earthiness underneath, but the liquorice and fennel notes sit right on top. If you're after something that doesn't smell like every other bag you've opened, this is the flavour lane to explore.

Durban poison and a few other standouts

When people talk about anise in cannabis, Durban Poison's the name that comes up first. This South African strain is famous for tasting like black liquorice sweets, some reckon it's almost like biting into a black jelly bean.

The smell's just as bold: anise and pine mixed with a deep, earthy spice that can be pretty full-on. Sometimes the buds even show off dark purple streaks, which only adds to the drama. You can't find a much better example of the anise experience than Durban Poison.

There are a few others worth a mention. Romulan's known for leaning into that liquorice territory, and there's a cross called Angola Roja × Bangui that throws out dark purple buds with a strong anise scent.

Out in the Pacific Northwest, some outdoor plants have turned up with heavy fennel and liquorice smells, though you won't always find them listed in the big seed catalogues.

These anise types are a bit of a niche, breeders and collectors swap stories about them in forums and seedbank circles, hunting down that sweet-spice flavour that's so different from the mainstream stuff.

How the flavour stacks up

Anise strains don't just smell different, they taste different, too. That liquorice and fennel flavour carries through when the plant's properly dried and cured, and it can even get stronger as everything settles.

It's not getting the usual citrus zing or piney bite. instead, it's herbal and sweet with a spicy edge that lingers. Some plants layer in a bit of earthiness or a touch of fruit, but the anise is what's most memorable.

Fennel notes pop up now and then alongside the liquorice, especially in certain crosses that breeders have been tinkering with. It's all part of that same terpene family, herbal, slightly sweet, a bit warming.

When you put an anise strain next to something loaded with limonene or pinene, the difference is obvious. One smells like a lemon grove or a pine forest. the other smells like the spice aisle. It's a completely different vibe, and that's exactly why collectors get excited about it.

Why collectors love the rare stuff

Anise and liquorice strains aren't everywhere. Most seed catalogues stick to the crowd-pleasers, fruity, diesel, skunky, so when something this unusual turns up, people take notice.

It's the kind of flavour that catches you off guard if you've never come across it before, and once you have, you start looking for more. Breeders swap seeds and stories, trying to track down plants with that sweet-spice character, and breeders that create them tend to hear about it pretty quickly.

There's something appealing about having a strain in your collection that doesn't smell like everything else. Anise types offer a flavour adventure that's a bit left-field, and that's part of the fun.

Whether it's Durban Poison's full-throttle liquorice or a rarer cross with fennel undertones, these plants bring something different to the table.

For anyone building a collection around unusual scents and tastes, anise strains are a must-have.