10 Of The Best Sativas To Grow In 2022

We recently ran a list of our top 10 indica picks, and it wouldn’t be fair if we didn’t give sativas the same treatment. If you like your cannabis with more of an uplifting buzz, you’ll find some beauties listed below. Here are 10 of the best sativas to grow in 2022.

What is Sativa Cannabis?

Cannabis Sativa is the other main classification of the plant. Alongside indica and Ruderalis, it’s one of the three main types of cannabis. Thanks to hybridisation – aka crossbreeding – most strains nowadays are something of a mixture of both. This means you get more desirable traits from each strain used in the breeding process and less problematic traits. For example, you might be crossing a great-tasting sativa with a magical cerebral buzz with an indica known for its pathogen resistance. You can successfully combine those traits into a new strain by crossbreeding the two plants.

Cannabis sativa is reasonably easy to identify from appearance alone. Most sativas are tall, thinner-looking plants with long, thin fan leaves. These cannabis plants were indigenous to warmer, tropical climates such as Thailand, Colombia, Mexico, and some areas of Africa. Over time, the sheer heat in these climates forced sativas to evolve to become taller and less bushy to survive. It’s imperative that sativas have the space they need to allow sufficient airflow through their foliage to avoid succumbing to the humidity. 

Sativas are therefore well suited to outdoor growing, and they grow incredibly well in hotter climates with longer summers – like their natural habitats. That’s not to say they don’t do well indoors, though. You can grow superb sativas indoors, as long you properly set up your room.

Sativas undergo a phenomenal stretch once the vegetative phase ends and flowering begins. These plants reach for the sky, and it’s common for sativa cannabis plants to double in size.

How does Sativa differ from Indica?

Besides the noticeable differences in appearance – cannabis indica tend to be shorter, bushier plants – they also differ in origin and effect. Indicas originate from colder climes like the mountainous regions of India and Nepal, where temperatures are harsher, and summers are shorter. Indica cannabis plants evolved like sativas did to protect themselves against the climate. The result, for indicas, is shorter flowering times and denser foliage. The leaves and buds of both are very different, too. Indicas have shorter, thicker fan leaves and firmer, more compact buds.

Sativa buds tend to be larger, fluffier and airier, which is why a bag of sativa buds usually looks like it contains more than a bag of sativa. In today’s world, it’s much harder to tell if cannabis indica or sativa simply by eyeballing the buds, again due to crossbreeding. 

Why Smoke a Sativa?

For many, the answer to this question is pretty straightforward – sativa strains tend to be more cerebral, meaning the effects are felt in the head and stimulate the mind, rather than the heavy body effects commonly attributed to indica cannabis strains.

A lot of smokers will use words like ‘uplifting’ when describing the effects of a sativa. You’ll find this a common theme in strain reviews, with many seed banks and even customer reviews touting the creative benefits of certain sativas.

Many argue that it’s not necessarily that straightforward, especially nowadays since crossbreeding strains has given us plenty of cannabis which affects both mind and body in relatively equal measure. For many people, the consensus remains that sativas invigorate the brain much more and allow you to keep active while putting a pleasant spring in your step. Sativas are often touted as daytime weed, with indicas kept to the end of the day for relaxation and possibly even to assist sleep.

Medical sativas are often listed as beneficial for those suffering from low-mood conditions such as depression or anxiety. This further cements the reputation of sativa strains as mentally uplifting. Either way, sativas are considered far less narcotic in their effects than indicas, although it depends on the degree of sativa dominance in the hybrid.

If you’re sold on sativas, look through our recommendations for 10 of the best sativas to grow in 2022 and see what takes your fancy.

Mama Thai

Seedsman proudly presents Mama Thai, a mostly-sativa hybrid of classic Thai sativa cannabis and Skunk. This superb, potent strain packs an impressive 22% THC and delivers the fabulous cerebral sativa hit in spades.

Our breeders worked hard to find a suitable mating partner that would reduce the long flowering time of Mama Thai, and the Skunk genetics worked a treat. Mama Thai now flowers in an impressive 11 weeks, meaning she’ll strut her stuff better indoors where controlling the temperature may be far more manageable. You’ll have to monitor her stretch, as she’s a tall plant, but you can look forward to around 400gm/plant as a reward.

This potent weed offers an exotic taste profile, with subtle spice and fruity hints sure to delight the connoisseur palate. Mama Thai provides an uplifting, euphoric buzz, and creative energy is chief among its effects.

Mama Thai regular seeds are available now on Seedsman.com

Durban Dew

Durban Dew is the product of two Dutch Passion classics – Durban Poison and Frisian Dew. By crossbreeding these two killer strains, Dutch Passion has created a top-quality, mostly-sativa hybrid that delivers on all fronts.

An excellent choice for beginners, Durban Dew is easy to grow and yields well indoors or outdoors. The SCRoG technique is recommended to control its impressive stretch during flowering, which takes around 9 weeks.

If you’re growing indoors, have those carbon filters handy since Durban Dew is a very aromatic strain. It’s an intense one, but the flavours are rewarding – the sweet and fruity taste is quite irresistible. Durban Dew’s effect will keep you active and happy, with a pleasant cerebral high that never gets too heavy.

Buy Durban Dew feminised seeds from Seedsman.com

Blue Dream

A truly elite modern cannabis strain, Blue Dream is one everyone should experience. Crossing Blueberry Ice with a U.S. Haze has given us this 70% sativa and much more. This is easily among 10 of the best sativas to grow in 2022.

Flowering in 10 weeks, Blue Dream presents no real challenges to grow. Like most sativas, it takes a real stretch during the flowering phase, but it rewards with high yields. Expect around 500gm/m2 if grown indoors and closer to 850gm/plant if growing outdoors. 

The taste and effect truly set Blue Dream apart from its peers. It’s a real fruit basket of flavours, with sweet berries, citrus, haze and spicy/earthy notes to the fore. Blue Dream is touted for its therapeutic benefits, including relief from anxiety, depression, nausea, pain and stress. The effect of Blue Dream is an intensely pleasant cerebral high, coming from its 20% THC content. Expect to bask in the long-lasting, powerful euphoric feeling as your mood soars.

Blue Dream feminised seeds are available now at Seedsman.com

Mimosa Evo

Mimosa Evo from Barney’s Farm is a two-way hybrid of Purple Punch and Clementine, meaning a 70% sativa-dominant strain with very high levels of THC. Easily above 20%, some say as much as 30% THC is possible.

This is a shorter plant than you’d expect for a sativa, topping out around 90cm when grown indoors but capable of growing to double that if planted outdoors. Mimosa Evo is known for incredibly high yields and can produce a staggering 700gm/m2 indoors if you treat her right! Outdoor growers fare even better, with as much as 2000gm/plant in some cases.

This stunning purple-tinged beauty has flavour and effect that are just as impressive. Fruit punch and tangerine aromas delight the nostrils – so make sure you practice reasonable odour control in the grow room. The taste of Mimosa Evo promises notes of citrus and berries, making for a sweet and refreshing smoke. The energising and clear-headed effect make Mimosa Evo an ideal daytime strain, and the happy and mood-lifting properties within may induce giggling outbreaks.

Pick up your Mimosa Evo feminised seeds here

Purple Ghost Candy

Purple Ghost may sound like something you’d see in a nightmare – but this connoisseur cannabis is the stuff dreams are made of! Crossing Purple Ghost with Candyland Purple brought us this sativa-dominant sensation. It’s the one everyone’s talking about it, and rightly so.

This is a straightforward strain for beginners to grow, presenting no unique problems – and the rewards are considerably high. Purple Ghost Candy has a 12-week flowering period, but it’s undoubtedly worth the wait. This is a tall sativa, but the yields are impressive, and you’ll find yourself harvesting 500-600gm/m2 if growing indoors. Be careful, though, as she’s as resin-heavy as they come! THC content has been measured at 27%, so potency is not in doubt.

PGC carries its connoisseur qualities through to its taste and effects. You’ll find the fuel-like, earthy aromas of an OG strain, but the flavours are an almost unreal lemon-lime soda with peach and minty aftertastes. The flavour party is followed up by a balanced array of effects – powerful and relaxing physically yet mentally stimulating at the same time.

Purple Ghost Candy feminised seeds are available now at Seedsman.com

Diet Durban THCV 1:1

To offer something a little different, we’ve included our top-secret Diet Durban THCV. Don’t ask for the recipe because we’re not telling – that’s how top-secret this super sativa is! We’ll say this strain emphasises some of the lesser-known cannabinoids, and the result is a new strain with all the magic of a fine sativa but some remarkable medicinal properties thrown in for good measure.

This is high-yielding cannabis that can be grown outdoors or in a greenhouse, but depending on your climate, you may prefer to grow indoors to avoid problems with later harvests. Diet Durban contains 7% THC and 7% THCV – tetrahydrocannabivarin, a cannabinoid which, like CBD, is said to mitigate the intoxicating effects of THC. But the magic of THCV lies in its reported ability to reduce appetite, promote satiety, and potentially increase metabolism – hence the strain name Diet Durban THCV.

The aroma and flavours of this strain are rich in pine, giving consumers a clean and earthy experience. Citrus, floral notes and a slight aniseed edge combine to give a natural, herbal taste to this mostly-sativa sensation. There’s around 2% CBD in Diet Durban THCV, which combines with the other cannabinoids to give a highly lucid, cerebral stimulating effect.

Don’t miss out on this fascinating sativa – Diet Durban THCV 1:1 seeds are available now

Green Gelato

Royal Queen Seeds presents Green Gelato – a superbly balanced indica/sativa hybrid with flavour to the fore. The legendary seed bank has produced one of the tastiest strains by combining Sunset Sherbet and Thin Mints GSC. This is dessert cannabis at its very finest.

Use techniques such as topping and low-stress training to get the best out of Green Gelato. Toward the end of the relatively short 9-week flowering period, you should flush with plain water to ensure you maximise the flavours. The purple hues in the buds make a stunning colour contrast to the bright orange pistils of this beautiful plant, and it’s a beautiful sight to see this bloom in your grow room.

Green Gelato is known for its high THC content, measured around 27%, but it’s the taste that truly takes the biscuit. Kush, baked goods, forest fruits – something here to delight everyone. In terms of effect, expect a mixed bag of sensations resulting from the hybrid nature of Green Gelato. Cerebral highs and couch-lock are available from this mind-bending cannabis strain, and long-lasting euphoria will keep you on your toes. This is powerful stuff!

Scoop up Green Gelato from Seedsman here

Fuel D.OG

Seedsman’s own FUEL D.OG is a 70% sativa-dominant hybrid bred by crossing Chemdog and FUEL OG. The result is a plant rich in resin and THC, with superb yield potential no matter where you grow it.

FUEL D.OG is quite a forgiving strain, so it’s ideal for beginners to grow. It takes a huge stretch to flower but can survive without the need for support. Impressive resilience for a plant that can reach as high as 350cm when grown outdoors! You’ll notice resin appearing as early as week three with this strain. When it’s ready to harvest, those sticky buds shimmer with trichomes. It’s a hungry plant, so ensure you’re generous with the nutrients until around week 6 of flowering. Then, taper them off towards the end of the 10-week flowering phase.

The flavours of Fuel D.OG are sharp, acidic and citrusy with pine, Diesel and Kush notes leading to a Skunkiness amid the aftertaste. This sativa is unlike others in that it has a more narcotic and powerful effect. Fuel D.OG is easy-growing cannabis and a taste sensation, but you’ll want to keep this one for evening use.

Buy Fuel D.OG feminised seeds on Seedsman.com

Trainwreck Auto

Trainwreck Auto is just the thing if you want the therapeutic qualities of a great medical sativa but with the low maintenance of an autoflowering strain. Humboldt Seed Company have married the extremely potent Trainwreck with a Ruderalis, and the result is one of the best autoflowering sativas around.

This plant is excellent for beginners, too. It claims a high level of mould resistance, which, coupled with those Ruderalis genes, make cultivation something of a joy. It grows superbly indoors and out to produce good yields of sticky, resinous flowers with an enchanting sweet aroma.

Trainwreck Auto is sweet-tasting cannabis, too. Lemon and pine can be detected on the inhale, with a sweet peppery sensation to the exhale that fans of Jack Herer may find familiar. It brings a potent effect that can last all day long and is said to have tranquilising qualities. Users claim Trainwreck Auto has great mood-enhancing properties and that it can aid stress relief.

Trainwreck Auto feminised seeds are available from Seedsman.com

Purple Haze x Malawi

Ace Seeds presents Purple Haze x Malawi – one of the most striking-looking sativas we’ve ever seen. They say looks aren’t everything, but they don’t do any harm either, right? This eye candy of a plant falls under the banner of a super sativa. Crossbred from Purple Haze and Killer Malawi, it delivers on all fronts.

Purple Haze x Malawi has vigour in abundance. It needs a lengthy flowering period of between 13-16 weeks, but you’ll see it sprout significantly in that time. It’s best grown indoors unless you’re in a tropical climate and needs only low to medium levels of fertiliser to shine. Don’t be put off by that lengthy flowering time, either – the wait is worth it. This remarkable F1 hybrid is pure sativa, and the flavour and effects are simply remarkable.

Flavours are exotic and elite, unlike anything you’re likely to have experienced in more common cannabis strains. There’s spice and citrus, but an intriguing blackberry liqueur taste is the dominant flavour before an exotic, woody quality kicks in. The effect of Purple Haze x Malawi is equally impressive. This is a long-lasting and intense cerebral high that seasoned smokers will appreciate. Newcomers, beware – go easy on this elite strain!

Purple Haze x Malawi feminised seeds are now available from Seedsman.com