What is The Difference Between Female Cannabis Seeds and Male Cannabis Seeds?

How to Tell the Sex of Cannabis Seeds and Plants

Growing cannabis at home can be rewarding—but it requires knowledge and care, especially when it comes to identifying the sex of your plants. Most growers aim to cultivate female cannabis plants because they produce the resinous, THC-rich buds used for both recreational and medicinal purposes. Male plants, by contrast, primarily generate pollen and can reduce the quality of a grow if left unchecked.

Types of Cannabis Plants: Male, Female, and Hermaphrodite

Before diving into plant identification, it’s important to understand the three possible types of cannabis plants:

• Female plants produce the prized buds rich in THC and CBD.
• Male plants generate pollen sacs used for fertilization.
• Hermaphrodites develop both male and female reproductive organs and can self-pollinate, risking your entire crop.

How to Identify the Sex of Cannabis Plants

Sexual characteristics typically begin to show during the pre-flowering stage, about 4–6 weeks into the growth cycle.

Identifying Female Cannabis Plants

Female plants are the most desirable for cultivation. You can recognize them by the presence of white, wispy hairs called pistils that emerge from small tear-shaped bracts. These pistils are indicators of flowering sites where buds will eventually grow.

If female plants are exposed to male pollen, they’ll produce seeds instead of potent, smokable buds. That’s why isolating female plants from males is essential for a high-quality yield.

Identifying Male Cannabis Plants

Male plants develop round pollen sacs that look like tiny balls and cluster near the nodes. These sacs eventually open to release pollen, fertilizing nearby female plants.

If your goal is to harvest flower (not seeds), you should remove male plants as soon as they reveal their sex—usually a week or two before female plants begin to show theirs.

Identifying Hermaphrodite Cannabis Plants

Hermaphrodites are plants that develop both male and female organs. These can occur naturally or result from environmental stress, such as:

• Light leaks during the dark cycle
• Over or under-watering
• Pest infestations
• Physical damage
• Poor transplanting practices

Hermaphrodites can pollinate themselves and other nearby females, reducing bud quality. It’s best to remove them to avoid crop contamination.

Feminized Seeds vs. Regular Seeds

If you're looking to avoid the hassle of identifying and removing male plants, feminized seeds are your best option. These seeds are bred to produce nearly 100% female plants—though there's still a small (about 1%) chance of male development.

Some purists prefer regular seeds, arguing they’re more natural and genetically diverse. However, using them means you'll need to "sex" your plants early to remove males and avoid pollination.

How Are Feminized Seeds Created?

1. Colloidal Silver Treatment

This is the most common method. A female plant is sprayed daily with colloidal silver, which inhibits ethylene production—a hormone that helps develop female flowers. Without ethylene, the female plant forms male pollen sacs, but this pollen contains only female chromosomes (XX).

Growers then use this pollen to fertilize another female plant, resulting in feminized seeds.

Note: Plants treated with colloidal silver should not be consumed—they are only for seed production.

2. Rodelization

This is a natural method in which a female plant, left unpollinated for an extended period, may begin producing male pollen sacs. While this pollen can create feminized seeds, it’s less reliable and may still carry hermaphroditic traits.

Why Sexing Cannabis Plants Matters

For most home growers, female plants are the goal. They yield bigger, more resinous buds with higher THC levels. Male plants, on the other hand, pollinate females and cause them to divert energy toward seed production, resulting in lower potency and less desirable flower.

Keeping male and hermaphrodite plants out of your grow space ensures maximum bud quality and THC content.

FAQs

Can you turn a male cannabis plant into a female?

Not exactly. However, you can force a female plant to produce pollen by using colloidal silver. This pollen can then be used to create feminized seeds, which will grow into female plants.

Can you tell the difference between male and female seeds?

No. Cannabis seeds look identical regardless of sex. You must grow the plant and observe it during the pre-flowering phase to determine its sex.

Can stress change the sex of a plant?

Yes. Environmental stress can cause female plants to become hermaphrodites, risking pollination and reduced bud quality.

What happens if I don’t remove male plants?

They will fertilize the female plants, causing them to produce seeds instead of potent, seedless buds (known as sinsemilla). This dramatically reduces the quality and THC concentration of your harvest.

Do male plants have THC?

Yes, but in very low concentrations—mainly in their leaves and stems. The amount is negligible compared to female flowers, making them a poor choice for consumption.