Cannabis Ruderalis: the origin of the autoflowering strains

Brief history of Cannabis Sativa Ruderalis

There exists great confusion about whether Ruderalis is a cannabis species or a subspecies, even amongst the most world-renowned cannabis specialists. From a botanical point of view, we do know that Ruderalis is a plant species that proliferates even in hostile environments.

The characteristic Ruderalis endurance may have developed from their exposure to harsh climate conditions (for instance, extreme heat or cold, inadequate humidity levels, weak or excessive light exposure, poor soils, etc). These conditions can cause deficiencies in the natural parameters that are essential for the adequate biological development of any living creature on the planet.

Therefore, it seems that these adverse but viable natural conditions enabled the appearance of the Cannabis Ruderalis plants in some regions of Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. More specifically, this strain was first officially identified scientifically in 1924 by the Russian botanist Janischewski in the wild regions of South Siberia.

With his helpers' support, Janischewski started to use the term 'Ruderalis' to classify the 'wild' hemp varieties that were growing naturally, without human intervention, and were capable of adapting to the extreme weather conditions in those areas.

A few years ago some people believed that Cannabis Ruderalis descended from an Indica cultivar that had adapted to the much shorter photoperiod of the nordic regions from which it originates. Nevertheless, there is no solid theory confirming this, even if it seems plausible.

Characteristics of Cannabis Ruderalis

The Ruderalis plant is usually smaller than a conventional cannabis plant; it is a robust and compact plant with a rather thick stem and a height between 30 and 120 cm. Its leaves are normally light green (they are hardly ever dark) and showcase wide leaflets.

The feature that separates the cannabis strains with Ruderalis lineage from the rest is that they start flowering automatically when they reach maturity, after a maximum vegetative period of around 20-30 days.

Automatic or autoflowering cannabis strains bloom regardless of the photoperiod that they're exposed to, and therefore are not affected by its duration.

This is an exclusive trait of the autoflowering cannabis varieties that contain Ruderalis-dominant genes. These plants prefer moderate watering, good oxygenation (especially of the substrate) as well as high light exposure. All of these, added to a series of essential technical parameters, leads to great yields in a relatively short time.

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Cannabis Ruderalis today

Many autoflowering cannabis strains have seen the light of day in the last few years. This is due to several reasons: firstly, because many cannabis growers live in areas with climate conditions which are not ideal for cannabis growing. Secondly, because Ruderalis is an 'all-purpose' species that can adapt to all kinds of growing environments.

Without this great option, growers in areas with adverse climates would not be able to accomplish their objective. Another reason for the existence of this type of cannabis seeds is that they are easier to grow, making it much simpler for rookie growers to obtain high-quality crops without having to worry about the duration of the light cycles. As long as the plants are provided with the right feeding regime, they will deliver a successful harvest regardless of the photoperiod that they're subjected to.

All of this simplifies things and offers beginners the chance to obtain great results with regards to quality and quantity, for instance with strains such as Moby Dick XXL Auto, Haze XXL Auto, or Critical 2.0 Auto.

In order to obtain autoflowering varieties that fully express the specific features of their original strains, it is necessary to carry out selection and breeding processes on several generations. If this is performed correctly, the automatic version will faithfully reflect the distinctive traits of the original.

Effects of Cannabis Ruderalis

Cannabis Ruderalis in its purest, wildest form produces an effect quite similar to that of Indica-leaning strains, but nowadays there are many autoflowering hybrids on the market that can show Indica or Sativa dominance, or a balanced mix of both. Therefore there is not a specific psychoactive effect attributed to Cannabis Ruderalis.

Our best Ruderalis strains

You can find different Ruderalis varieties in Dinafem Seeds' catalogue. These will probably be your 5 most favourite Ruderalis-dominant cannabis seeds: