Why Colorado Tokers Love Citral Flo

Get out your tiny violins, because you’re about to hear a complaint from a spoiled cannabis consumer: Shopping for weed can be sort of difficult after a long day. With so many strains, smells and highs available, sometimes you just want the simplicity of a weed dealer telling you to “take it or leave it.” All I needed on a Monday night was some classic, skunky nugs that reminded me of a different time, back when we returned for the same bag for months in a row because it was the only kush plug in town. We didn’t know which strain it really was, but we knew what smells to look for.

Citral Flo smells, looks and smokes like some of that classic mystery dank — only we know what it is. A cross of Sour Flo and Citral Skunk, Citral Flo’s throwback smell and flavor are almost like going back to a hometown hangout. It doesn’t take long to trace the strain back to Flo, Citral, Skunk, Sour Diesel and OG Kush on the family tree, and those genetics combine for a beautiful blend of Eastern and Western cannabis varieties. Thick, chalky flavors of Hindu Kush; rubbery, gassy hints of Diesel; heavy fumes of Skunk and a twist of citrus cooperate instead of clash, creating a smell that’s textbook sticky icky.

Citral Flo’s high tends to lean old-school, too, and can make users anxious if too much is toked. Smoking a joint of it made me feel like a youngster on his first blunt: My tongue felt like sandpaper, and my sense of time and concentration was disoriented. However, sessions of the strain before a late February bike ride or during mountain visits gave me a warming energy without the side effect of overthinking, making it great for quick decision-making during outdoor activity.

We’ve spotted Citral Flo at Ascend Cannabis, Ajoya, Berkeley Dispensary, Buddy Boy, Callie’s Cannabis Shoppe, Ganja Gourmet, the Joint, Starbuds and Trenchtown, and it’s likely available elsewhere around town.

Looks: Despite typically having a dark, forest-green color (though some phenotypes can get brighter or more purple), Citral Flo can become almost white in the grow from some thick trichome coverage — but that doesn’t always happen, nor does it mean that versions without it aren’t potent. The strain is known for dense, round buds — similar to Hindu Kush, but more compact.

Smell: Straight hash, homey. While Citral Flo carries a stiff rubbery punch like a new case of tennis balls that tends to emanate skunk, breaking up the strain releases thick, dry hints of hash-y bubble gum that dominate most of the smell, with a small squeeze of oranges rounding it out.

Flavor: While those thick hash flavors stand out, a rubbery, chemical-like aftertaste and thin layer of oranges comes in at the end, lingering until you brush your teeth to get rid of the dry, barren wasteland your mouth has turned into, thanks to Citral Flo.

Effects: Citral Flo is usually labeled somewhere near a 50/50 hybrid, but it’s much more of a daytime strain for me. Dry mouth? Check. Quick shot of energy? Check. Hard to focus? Check. With such uplifting qualities, it’s important to not dive in head first with Citral Flo, or the strain might give you more energy and enthusiasm than you know what to do with.

Home grower’s take: “I got my seeds online, from Ethos, and was able to get four of them to flower. It wasn’t as skunky in the grow as you would probably think — those seemed to come around more after curing — but it was full of strong hash and orange scents. Those trichomes basically got white overnight, too; I seriously should’ve time-lapsed it. Didn’t take long to bloom — about eight weeks — but those dense buds need to be monitored, because they retain a lot of moisture.”

Is there a strain you’d like to see profiled? Email [email protected].