At the intersection of big fan leaves and the main stem, white hairs will sprout at these locations. Over time, these will develop into buds of cannabis known as colas.
Pistils exhibit a gradual change of hue from white to yellow, orange, and red/brown as they mature. This can be an accurate predictor of flower quality.
White Hairs
On a cannabis flower, the white hairs are part of the pistil or female sexual organ. These fine strands of hair (stamens), collect male pollen as it disperses through the air.
These strands are an excellent indicator of floral maturity and can help you decide when to harvest your crop. However, this is not the only factor to consider.
As you’ll discover in the following paragraphs, there are numerous other indicators of bud quality worth paying attention to.
Pistil hair color changes as they approach floral maturity, from white to yellow, orange and reddish-brown depending on the strain. Once half or more of these pistils turn red it is time for harvesting your crop.
Orange Hairs
Orange hairs on cannabis buds not only look attractive, but they may indicate your cannabis strain has high THC content. However, it’s important to note that pistils do not contain THC – only the trichomes do.
The vibrant orange of a flower is caused by anthocyanins, flavonoid pigments found in fruits, vegetables and plants. These same anthocyanins also contribute to other plants’ vibrant colors.
These chemicals give blueberries, red onions, and cherries their vibrant hues. Furthermore, they shield plant tissue from UV rays and attract pollinators.
Another reason you may notice a lot of orange hairs on your cannabis buds is because the pistils on your plants are responsible for collecting pollen from male plants during blooming. Once these pistils catch pollen from a male plant, they fertilize the female bud and begin producing seeds.
Brown Hairs
Pistils are small hair-like strands that protrude from a cannabis flower and serve an important role in the female plant’s reproductive system, helping to catch male pollen when it hits its sex organs. These stigmas play an integral role in keeping female marijuana plants fertile.
Stigmas on cannabis flowers turn orange and brown after being fertilized by male pollen, signaling it’s time for harvest. These changes occur due to phytochemicals found within the pistil tissue.
These molecules are responsible for the vibrant colors found in plants like peppers, carrots, and oranges. Furthermore, they shield plant tissue against UV rays’ damaging effects and attract pollinators.
Some cannabis strains exhibit pink or red pistil hairs. These colors are caused by flavonoid pigments known as anthocyanins, which also give some cannabis leaves their vibrant purple hues.
Yellow Hairs
When your cannabis plant is still in the vegetative stage, its hair will typically be white. But as it moves into flowering, these hairs will begin to change color – this is known as the Changing Colors phase and it serves as a sign that your cannabis plant is ready for harvesting.
Depending on the strain, initial hues can range from yellow to orange. Subsequently, they progress into red and finally brown.
Carotenoids are responsible for the vibrant hues found in carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins.
Purple or pink hues are caused by flavonoid pigments called anthocyanins, which also contribute to the vibrant hues found in blueberries, cherries, and red onions.
Some strains of cannabis can change color faster than others, depending on their flowering phase and indoor lighting conditions. Autoflowers and fast-flowering photoperiod varieties often experience this transformation more rapidly than slower-flowering strains do.
