Cannabis Plant Sex: Male, Female and Hermaphrodite

THE PLANT

Only female plants make the flower people want, which is why sex is the grower’s first concern. Cannabis is unusual among crops in being dioecious: most plants are either male or female. Whether a plant is female, male or hermaphrodite decides whether it produces seedless resin-rich flower or a bag of seeds.

Female plants

Female plants produce the resinous flowers rich in cannabinoids and terpenes. If they are never pollinated they put all their energy into flower and remain seedless, the prized sinsemilla (“without seed”) condition.

Male plants

Male plants produce pollen sacs rather than flowers and carry far less resin. Growers usually remove males early so they cannot pollinate females, unless the goal is breeding and seed production.

Hermaphrodites

Under stress, heat, light leaks, damage, some plants produce both male and female organs. A hermaphrodite can self-pollinate and seed an entire crop, so growers watch for stray pollen sacs (often called “bananas”).

This is a failure mode to prevent, not a feature.

How growers control it

Because sex is decisive, most growers start from feminised seeds (bred to produce almost only females) or from clones of a known female. Regular seeds give a roughly even male/female split that must be sorted at flowering.

Why it matters

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