Classic Strains: Northern Lights

Northern Lights is a cornerstone of modern Cannabis history that has been awarded numerous accolades and cups, across nearly four decades.

Strain Name: Atomic Northern Lights
Canadian Creator: Dr. Atomic
Genetics: 35% sativa / 65% indica
Origins: Afghani x Thai Haze
Flowering: 50 - 65 days
Outdoor Harvest: Mid-October

Strain Name: Northern Lights
Dutch Creator: Sensi Seed Bank
Genetics: 10% sativa / 90% indica
Origins: Northern Lights #5 x Northern Lights #2
Flowering: 45 - 50 days
Outdoor Harvest: Mid- to late September

Some strains are simply famous; Northern Lights, however, is legendary. If you smoke Cannabis, there is a very high probability that you have tried either Northern Lights or one of its sister varieties, as the NL is one of the most eponymous Cannabis strains to have ever existed. Unlike most varieties, the Northern Lights can be credited to more than one label's genetics and hard work, linked to several continents and prevailing across nearly four decades - exhibiting a longevity that few strains will ever accomplish.

Genetic Origins of Northern Lights
Generally attributable as originating in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, the Northern Lights has a long history featuring multiple protagonists. Some credit Washington state as its birthplace, although the genetics are reputed to have come from California as early as the 1970s. Afghan seeds and Thai genetics were crossed during the 1980s in an attempt to create and stabilize a strain that could withstand the short, wet, gloomy outdoor growing cycles in that area.

From that early batch of stabilized plants, several of the new indica powerhouses that had been developed in the United States were then transported to their new home in the Netherlands, where the Seed Bank created the Dutch version of Northern Lights (nowadays sold by Sensi Seed Bank). The heady indica was being grown in Dutch greenhouses along with fellow trailblazers Skunk #1, Early Pearl, Holland's Hope and Original Haze.

Dr Atomic, the Canadian seed label, represents the old-school source of the North American lineage for Northern Lights. After obtaining Dutch NL genetics and returning to cross them with some of their distant relations from the early days, Dr Atomic ensured genetic diversity for NL fans in North America. Growers were then able to choose from plenty of different versions of the Northern Lights genetics on two continents.

Stable, Varied Phenotypes
While the NL is hailed as an indica for indica lovers, it is also quite easy to grow and finishes flowering in around eight weeks (as little as six in hydro). This strain presents itself with compact, dense buds often separated by a few centimeters of stalk, making trimming a breeze. While the buds are tight and thick, they are not so impenetrable that bud rot is a major problem, making it a nice indica to grow in even humid conditions. The foliage on most Northern Lights varieties is typically dark green, evidence of its vigorous lineage, but the palmate structures are not as wide as other indicas on the market. The buds are coated with a silvery-white frosting of trichomes and the yield is excellent.

A compact, tight plant, Northern Lights phenos can be singular in cola structure but the more typical appearance is the traditional evergreen tree shape - a dense, compact central stalk surrounded by four or five lateral branches - indicative of the NL #2. The original basis for Sensi's cross, the NL #1, presented more of a tall, leggy plant, displaying the weed-on-a-stick visual aspect when fully flowering. Mild in flavor yet potent and fast-flowering, NL #5 featured at the Cannabis Castle during its peak breeding years. The Seed Bank's NL was perhaps the bushiest sister, offering a high-yielding, resinous crop that imparted a strong effect and juniper or pine scent and flavor.

Related Strains
The various hybrids that feature Northern Lights are too numerous to name, considering how stable and far-reaching the NL genetics have been over the decades. Scarcity also poses a problem, due to dwindling genetic libraries that still contain original cuts. For example, since the NL #5 - a wonderful example of hybrid vigor that combined a female NL x Thai (75/25) with a pure NL father - was only ever available in clone form, it is very unusual at present to find these genetics publicly on offer.

A beautiful relation known as NL #5 x Haze made the rounds in the more professional grower scene throughout the Netherlands, especially in Amsterdam, but only luck or knowing the right person would have allowed access to it as a cutting. The deep relaxation of pure NL genes blended with a heady haze touch, offering a powerful effect that tasted of pine and spice and smelled like truly old-school Cannabis.

Black Domina and Hash Plant are two varieties offered by the Sensi Seed Bank that maintain the original NL aesthetic, albeit hybrids. The Blueberry x Northern Lights from Dr Atomic is a real Canadian legend, which offers a slightly headier effect than the original, combined with a sweet, earthy flavor and scent.

True classics containing NL genetics include the Flying Dutchmen's Aurora B, which combines the original Northern Lights with an Afghan father, pumping up the indica stock and ensuring a high yield, authentic indica taste and aroma plus a range of true NL phenos. Fans of pioneer genetics may remember the Mangolian Indica from Sagarmatha Seeds, a hard-hitting and stupefying combination of Northern Lights, Skunk #1 and Afghan with a sweet, citrusy-mango flavor. Of course, it would not be fair to leave out the Chronic from Serious Seeds, which was the darling of the 1990s indica scene and many smokers' first introduction to Northern Lights genetics - that is, those who were too young to smoke pot during the original NL wave.

Finally, anyone looking to experience the confusing effect of true indicas crossed with haze plants should try the Super Silver Haze (Green House Seed Company), which heavily features both families of Cannabis in a resinous, relatively easy-to-grow hybrid that permanently impacted modern Cannabis history.