Origins and Backstory: Bred by @meangenefrommendocino, Cherry Limepop is a cross of HGAS Cherry and meangene’s now-retired Limepop male. HGAS (High Grade All Stars) Cherry is a Cherry Pie bagseed. He selected to the F2 generation, and gave me some seeds to look through. I have grown a few other Limepop crosses, and this one seems to lean more to the Cherry side of things. While in their current state these have hermaphoraditic tendencies indoors, I did not have that problem. I had a stable indoor female as well as females outside, and these are the best performing outdoor plants I have seen or experienced. The plants were incredibly strong, had great structure, were high-yielding, and the buds look like indoor. While I could personally use some more experience growing plants outside, these strike me as a pinnacle of breeding. I am almost becoming numb to how consistently incredible Freeborn Selections have been.
Appearance: These plants grow like bushes but with massive colas, almost from the meristem to the tip of each off-shooting branch. The outsides of each plant are definitively purple and magenta, while closer to the meristem the foliage is a pale-lime green at harvest. It is a really cool effect of seeing the plant in person—they look purple from afar but as you get in close, you can see that at least 50% of the foliage is green. Wild! The flowers themselves are dense, popping with resin, and mostly green with some purple accents. They make for some beautiful and chunky buds in bags, jars, or just about anywhere else.
Aroma: Dried buds smell like cherry-infused vodka, and/or a basket of red cherries that have been warmed by sitting in the sun. It is really reminiscent of red cherry skins and alchohol to be exact, while lime and citrus notes are present in the backdrop. I also detect chlorine notes and some bleach, in a similar vein to Cherry Pyromancer. The growing plants have a lot more chemical funk to them, while the dried flower leans more toward fruit. Breaking buds up is akin to biting into the cherry; the cherry notes are intensified and smell more flesh than skin, while bright lime juice and rind aromas manifest among metallic tones of copper and tin. It is more sweet than tart, but there is a definite sourness contributing to the overall character. The broken nugs definitely have the character of high grade weed to them too, it is something bordering on skunk. The chlorine notes are replaced by must and acridity, a note not unlike a basement-stored rug overdue for a dust-beating. There is just a hint of new ACE bandage present too. Overall a sweet, fruity sour flower with a solid balance of weird funk.
Flavor: There are dark fruit tones, some bright ones, and a lot of musk, must, and funk. The dark fruit tones are intensely cherry and cranberry, with almost an alcohol-like flavor similar to vodka. Brighter citrus and lime comes through much more strongly on the aftertaste, but are present in the smoke. Copper, tin, bleach, and medical supply closet (ACE bandages? sterilized packaging?) are intensified in the flavor, where they are in the background of the aroma. The musty basement tones are present in the smoke as well as aftertaste too. Par for the Freeborn course, the flavor is deeply layered and complex, seemingly offering a novel experience with every fresh bowl—I feel like I am always pulling new flavors each time I smoke this weed. There are definitely strains that I prefer to taste (e.g. Limepop Kush, Cherry Pyromancer, etc.), but it is really a matter of personal preference, and Cherry Limepop is equally-deserving of shelf space.
Effects: Cherry Limepop interestingly hits immediately and strongly, but has a remarkably quick come-down as well. I feel it quickly behind my eyes and physically in my head—this is eye-reddening and mellow-out weed, the kind you want to throw in a bong for that instant lobe-floating sensation. Before dabbing existed, people sought after weed like this. It hits so quickly and strongly that it can seem overwhelming at times. However, whenever I feel on the edge of my limits and feeling racy/discomfort/paranoia/etc., Cherry Limepop’s intensity starts coming down and settling into a dreamy, introspective, and relaxed experience. That is generally when I reach for the bowl again—beam me right back up! The comedown is fairly quick, inspiring one to smoke a lot of this weed through the day. Cherry Limepop puts me right on the edge of an awesome high before settling into a mellow stone. Cherry Limepop would also be great for a day in bed with a loved one—Valentine’s weed!
Overall: It’s notable that Cherry Limepop F2 is particularly greasy weed—Freeborn Selections is somewhat famous for selecting for these greasier plants (as opposed to sticky or tacky feeling plants). I am sure this is scientifically and horticulturally relevant, and would love an education on the subject, but I am ignorant to the finer consequences. In any case, this greasy and gorgeous plant is the greatest performer in the outdoors that I have ever seen. It really isn’t even a contest, with the buds from these sun-beaten, snow & hail-exposed plants passing for indoor among some. If I ever stop smoking weed, I like to think I’ll keep some Cherry Limepop plants around as lawn ornaments, or just to impress house guests. This stunning and aromatic ganja is unique across every level of analysis; almost nothing smells like this weed, almost nothing tastes like it, and it has an impressive effect to boot. These plants are honestly so impressive that I will aim to grow some outdoor every year from now on. I rarely grow plants more than a couple times, but this really is a plant worthy of the title “Keeper” for a lifetime.