Fast flowering cannabis strains wrap up their bloom phase quicker than most.
Breeders have crossed photoperiod plants with autoflower genetics to create seeds that still need a light change but race through flowering in six to eight weeks instead of the usual ten or more.
There’s feminised photoperiod types, autos, high-CBD picks, and F1 hybrids, all keeping the punch, shape, and taste of their parents while finishing weeks earlier.
Breeders take a solid feminised photoperiod strain and cross it with a feminised autoflower. The autoflower side brings speed genes, and the photoperiod side keeps the structure and strength.
What comes out is a light-dependent plant that still flowers in six or seven weeks. These aren't autos, they're feminised photoperiod seeds that can be cloned by breeders and used as mother plants. Each generation gets a bit more stable.
Autoflowers got their speed from ruderalis, a wild cannabis type that flowers on its own clock in two to four weeks without needing strict dark periods.
What they smell and taste like
Fast flowering strains come in every flavour you can think of. Apple Blossom smells like sweet apple blossom with a cosy warmth underneath.
Fast Eddy Automatic leans hard into skunky citrus, thanks to Cheese, Juanita la Lagrimosa, and ruderalis in the mix. Candy Kush Express throws out waves of sweet citrus that carry right through to the taste.
Royal Cheese Fast Flowering brings sweet earthy notes from Old School Skunk and Afghani roots, while Honey Cream Fast Flowering tastes like sugar and honey after crossing BlueBlack, Maple Leaf Indica, and White Rhino.
Speedy Chile Fast Flowering gives fruit, pine, and spice all at once, and M.O.B. has those fresh, layered East Coast aromas with purple and pink hues in the flowers.
There’s plenty of earthy skunk alongside sweet fruit and citrus across the board. White Runtz Auto is all candy terpenes, smooth, sweet, and fruity, and loads of fast autos lean into that sugary vibe.
Where the famous ones come from
Plenty of fast flowering seeds trace back to legendary strains. Royal Cheese Fast Flowering descends from Old School Skunk and Afghani, bred to match the famous UK Cheese but finish faster.
Honey Cream (Fast Version) by Royal Queen Seeds wraps up in six or seven weeks, blending BlueBlack, Maple Leaf Indica, and White Rhino.
Speedy Chile Fast Flowering gets its speed and heavy indica lean from Early Skunk, Skunk, and Chile Indica, while Candy Kush Express pairs Sweet Special with OG Kush.
Delicious Candy Early Version crosses Caramelo indica with UK Cheese and finishes in forty days with THC hitting 22%.
Grease Monkey comes from GG#4 and Cookies & Cream, packing robust American genetics into a fast indica frame. Runtz is Gelato crossed with Zkittlez, and Alien OG mixes Tahoe OG with Alien Kush, a classic Californian combo that's been sped up for collectors who want results sooner.
Strength and cannabinoid content
Apple Blossom clocks in between 26% and 30% THC, right at the top end for any hybrid. Girl Scout Cookies Fast Flowering reaches 25% or more and finishes in under eight weeks. Gorila Fast goes up to 27%, and Tutankhamon Fast sits at 26%.
Royal Cheese Fast Flowering is indica-leaning with 17% THC and wraps up in six weeks. Speedy Chile Fast Flowering finishes its bloom in six weeks with 16% THC and a strong indica backbone.
White Runtz Auto carries 22% THC, and Seedstockers' fast autos balance high cannabinoid levels with rich flavour and aroma.
Fast Strains Frequently Asked Questions
They're hybrids bred to finish flowering faster than usual. Breeders cross feminised photoperiod plants with feminised autoflowers, creating light-dependent seeds that race through bloom.
Most finish within eight weeks. Some, like Apple Blossom, are done in forty-five days, while Fast Grapefruit wraps up in six and a half weeks.
Yes, they're photoperiod plants.
No. Fast flowering seeds are feminised photoperiod plants that need a light change but finish quicker. Autos flower on their own and can't be cloned.
F1 Fast Version seeds are first-generation hybrids with strong vigour and stable fast-flowering traits. They combine rapid bloom with the control of photoperiod genetics.
Not exclusively. While Indica genetics naturally flower faster, breeders also create fast Sativa and hybrid versions by crossing photoperiod lines with autoflowering plants.
Fast Buds leads the pack, but Royal Queen Seeds, Pyramid Seeds, Sweet Seeds, and Green House Seeds all have solid fast flowering ranges in their catalogues.
Breeders preserve terpene profiles during the crossing process, so fast strains deliver the same aroma and flavour as their standard counterparts.
Super Boof took Leafly's Strain of the Year in 2024, highlighting the quality and potency fast flowering varieties can deliver.
Everything from sweet and fruity to spicy and herbal. Galaxy Fast is sweet and fruity, Kryptonite Fast brings spice, and many others mix citrus, floral, and classic cannabis notes.
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