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Parts of the Hemp Plant
This image depicts some of the components of the cannabis plant. This is the same for marijuana and hemp plants.
The blue arrows on this plant are sugar leaves. The sugar leaves have trichomes that are on the top AND bottom of the leaf. These are the hardest leaves to get to, when you are trimming them. If you look in depth at the picture, you will see white-ish spots covering the leaves that look like sugar, hence the name. If you notice the difference in color between some if the leaves on this plant, the
As you can see the blue arrow is pointing to a brown "hair". This hair is a stigma, which is a part of the pistol. This is where the female part of the plant has the reproductive parts to accept male pollen. The stigmas turn from a white color to a darker brown-ish color as the plant ages.
The red arrow depicts the trichomes. The white spots visual to the eye can actually be an amber color (as the
In Detail
Additional Information
Going into some detail with the pictures above, you see there is a lot to know about what parts of the plant play a vital role, and why it is important to know what you are looking at. This is not everything about a hemp plant, but these, in my opinion, are the most crucial parts of the plant in the hemp business.
Stigma and Pistils: Stigmas are part of the pistil. Each pistil has the reproductive organs and rely on the stigmas to bring in the male pollen. The pistil is also responsible for producing seeds, if it is germinated. This is very important, because when you are looking to produce CBD products, you do NOT want any male plants to germinate female plants, or your hemp plant will use its energy into making seeds, instead of cannabinoids.
Cola and Buds: The cola is the flowering part of the plant (even though the cola is typically referred to as the largest flower(s) of the plant). This is the part that is used for smokable hemp. The cola has tightly packed buds, filled with amazingly small trichomes that cover the flower to protect it. The cola is the part that produces the most cannabinoids.
Trichomes: The trichomes are the small white spots that you see on the hemp plant, that look like sugar granules. These can have several different shapes under a microscope and take on darker colors as the plant matures/ages (hard to see with the naked eye). The trichomes are sticky but beneficial. Trichomes are the plant's defense mechanism. Being so sticky and fragrant, it helps protect the plant from bugs and predators. The trichomes of a hemp plant hold the cannabinoids that the plant is grown for. Once the flowering stage has started, trichomes start to produce exponentially more in the next few weeks, becoming more fragrant. You will also now start to see less insects/bugs. These little granule looking pieces of artwork are the flavor and aroma of the plant and help determine the strain of the hemp plant. Trichomes are found on the stalk, flowers, branches, and leaves.
Fan Leaves: These leaves are the larger leaves throughout the entire height and width of the plant. These leaves are easily distinguishable and can tell you some about your plant at the beginning. Fan leaves only have trichomes that "grow" on the bottom of the leaves. The trichomes that you see on the top of the leaves are from the sugar leaves that lose them and the fan leaf catches them. Another way you can distinguish these leaves are where they are on the plant; These leaves are on the branches of the plant (easier to explain with a physical plant to show you). These leaves start to turn yellow when the plant is done with them (close to harvest time and starts from the bottom, going up). These leaves are essentially where the plant gets it's chlorophyll from; Photosynthesis occurs in these leaves. Sometimes the hemp plant has so many of them that it makes it hard for the sun to reach the inside ones, which in turn makes smaller buds. I have seen many stories on leaves of the hemp plant leaves turning yellow and it's a bad sign. This is most definitely not always true. It really depends on many factors, but if you are getting yellow fan leaves at the beginning of the season, you likely have a problem that needs to be remedied. If you are getting yellow fan leaves at the end of the season, you likely have a good problem and you are coming closer to harvest time.
Sugar Leaves: Also known as trim. This part of the plant is where most of the trichomes are located. These smaller leaves poke out from the bud. They are covered, top and bottom, with trichomes. These leaves can tell you a lot about your plant. If these leaves are turning brown, yellow, droopy, etc. you have an issue. The plant could not be getting enough sun, too many nutrients, not enough nutrients, too much water, not enough water, etc. I like to think of the sugar leaves as my indicator of what my plant needs or doesn't.
