Strawberry Cough

Strawberry Cough's rise from basement clone to cannabis celebrity starts with former High Times cultivation editor Kyle Kushman. The strain is commonly reported as a cross of Haze and Strawberry Fields, although its original breeder and exact pedigree remain disputed. What isn't in much doubt is Kushman's role in turning the cut into a household name.

According to Kushman's telling, a novice Connecticut grower handed him a tiny clone from a basement garden. Kushman nearly tossed it until the plant kicked out such a ridiculous fresh-strawberry aroma that he reconsidered. He kept the clone and began passing Strawberry Cough around New York rather than guarding it like proprietary gold.

That generosity helped the strain blow up. Strawberry Cough became a fixture of New York's cannabis scene, and when Kushman moved west, the clone went with him. He continued distributing it among growers, helping spread the genetics across the country and eventually spawning seed versions, reproductions, and plenty of strains carrying the Strawberry Cough name.

The original cut built its reputation on an aroma that doesn't make you work very hard to understand the name. Fresh strawberries and sweet berries sit front and center, backed by flowers, herbs, earth, pine, and a sharper Haze-like spice. The smoke is also known for an expansive quality that can bring on the cough responsible for the other half of the name.

Online reviews describe a clear, energetic cerebral high with euphoria, creativity, and a distinctly social streak. There's some relaxation underneath, but Strawberry Cough made its name by keeping the experience bright and lively. Plenty of strains smell fruity. This is one of the rare old-school cuts whose strawberry reputation became its entire calling card.