African Seeds obtained the original seed stock for Ethipian Highland from the breeders in the Rasta community in Shashemene, a sprawling town located in the Great Rift Valley, about 150 miles from Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. The strain originated in the highland region of Southern Tanzania, and then was brought to Ethiopia where it was grown for many generations before reaching African Seeds breeders.
This pure sativa has never been crossed, only inbred. Outdoors, Ethiopian thrives when grown in a location with a long warm summer, but it will also do well in the Northern European latitudes and cooler high altitude mountain climates. This plant can also be tamed for indoor gardens as long as the lighting is fairly intense. Ebb and flow hydro is a better choice of systems; this plant is difficult to grow in soil indoors.
African Seeds typically allows this heavily branched, shorter sativa strain to grow vegetatively outdoors for 12-16 weeks before flowering. In cooler climates with long summer daylight hours, 8-10 weeks of vegetative cycle is sufficient. Of course yield is partly dependent on how big the plants are allowed to get before they are flowered. Indoors, this strainshould veg for at least 6 weeks before flowering is forced. Once forced to flower, ripening only takes about a month.
Ethiopian Highland buds are loose, long and fluffy, tucked between the slender, light green foliage. When smoked, it has very strong, burley Turkish aroma with a licorice aftertaste. The buzz is electric and energetic, good for recreation or daytime use because mental clarity is intact and the potential for couchlock is low. This strain is used by the local Rasta community and others in Ethiopia for religious and medicinal uses.
Ever smoke or grow Ethiopian Highland? Tell us about it in a comment below!