If you’re new to growing weed plants, you may be wondering how male and female plants differ. At a glance, plants may look much the same as they are growing. Once they are mature enough to start seeding, you will notice a few differences. This is where male plants will differ from female plants. To help you understand the difference between the two (and the role each plays in weed growing) we’ve put together a short comparison guide to weed plant genders.

Male vs Female Weed Plants

Although the two main types of weed plants are male and female, there are also hermaphrodites. Typically, these occur when the plant is stressed. It is best to remove them before they pollinate your other plants. As for male and female plants, here’s how each compares:

Male plants.

Male plants make pollen, which is needed for plants to reproduce on their own. If you are planning to make your own seeds, a male plant is required. If you are aiming to grow plants for their flowers, it is better to remove males quickly. Males can be identified only when they start to flower. They have balls that release pollen and can appear to look like a wad of flowers. Once this happens, there will be a very high chance of pollination. It can take about three weeks for the pollen balls to break open. A good way to identify male plants is their lack of pistils. 

Female plants.

Female plants are the ones you want if you want to grow your own seeds. They make buds that contain high levels of THC. Females are identified by their pistils, which are small hairs. Pistils are the first thing female plants produce. Males do not have any pistils. You will need to make sure that you separate males and females if you want anything other than seeds. Even a small amount of pollen from a male plant will lead to flowers filled with seeds.