- Category
- STRAINS / CULTURE
- Where
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- When
- Video published Oct 10
Searching for the sativas that survived a volcano on Saint Vincent
A new video follows a search for long-held strains on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. Many of the island's strains were lost in the 2021 volcanic eruption, and the team visits growers at the foot of the volcano.
Saint Vincent is a Caribbean island north of Venezuela, home to about 110,000 people. It is known as the region's biggest cannabis producer after Jamaica, and as an island where tall sativas grow.
On April 9, 2021, the La Soufrière volcano erupted. Around 16,000 people were evacuated, and the ash reached Barbados, more than 170 km away. According to a local grower, many of the strains the island had passed down were lost at that time.
A team from the American seed company Humboldt Seed Company sailed along the coast and climbed the hills to find people who have been growing for generations. Cultivation is still concentrated around the volcano. Volcanic soil makes up only a small part of the Earth's crust, but it is very fertile.
What they found was a sativa nearly 2.5 metres tall that locals call "lamb's bread." A peppery bite with a hint of mango is said to be the island's signature aroma. The team suspects it may be the legendary Saint Vincent Gold and has sent seeds away for analysis.
Strain news is usually about new crosses, but this journey goes the other way, toward strains that were close to being lost. A single eruption can erase plants that were passed down for generations. Searching for what survived, together with the island's growers, is a side of strain culture we wanted to share.