Skittles Strain

The story of Skittles

Ask for Skittles in Canada and you are almost always asking for Zkittlez, the candy-fruit indica that took first place at the 2016 Emerald Cup. It came out of Mendocino County through Terp Hogz and 3rd Gen Family, usually credited as Grape Ape x Grapefruit with an undisclosed third parent. Everyone called it Skittles, the breeders spelled it with a Z, and Mars Wrigley sued anyway: since the 2023 settlement the official name is The Original Z. Same plant, three names. There is also an older, much rarer cultivar spelled Skittlz, an 80/20 indica bred from Pure Power Plant x Wakeford (a Skunk and G-13 hybrid), with a fruitier nose cut by skunk and diesel. Our own Skittles listing has quoted that Skittlz lineage, so we tell you both stories rather than pick one. Read the batch, not the name: grape candy and a calm, mellow high points to the Z family; skunk and diesel under the fruit points to Skittlz. Also sold as Skittlez, Skittles Weed and Island Skittles: the spelling changes, the plant does not.

Terpene breakdown

On the Z side, limonene leads with that bright candy-citrus snap, caryophyllene adds a little spice underneath, and myrcene rounds it into grape, berry and tropical fruit. That is the profile most people mean when they say a jar smells like a bag of Skittles. The Skittlz line keeps the fruit but carries more skunk and fuel from the Wakeford and G-13 side, so myrcene and caryophyllene sit a little higher and the nose is less pure candy. Either way the sweetness is the headline, and the flavour holds up best at low vape temperatures.

Growing Skittles

The Z cut finishes in about 7 to 9 weeks indoors, with compact, indica-shaped plants, modest stretch and dense, colourful buds that pick up purple and orange tones when nights run cool late in flower. Yields are moderate; growers keep it for the terps, not the weight. It wants a warm, dry finish and good airflow, because those tight colas can hold moisture. Skittlz genetics are hard to source at all, so almost everything grown under the Skittles name today is a Zkittlez cut or one of its seeded descendants.

How to consume Skittles

Afternoon into evening. The Z expression is famously friendly: a happy, focused, slightly giggly lift with a calm body underneath, more mellow than knockout at normal doses. The Skittlz expression leans heavier and hungrier, so plan snacks. A dry herb vape around 175 to 190 C is the best way to taste the candy; it fades fast in a hot joint. Start with a pull or two, especially if your batch is listed at the high end of the THC range, and keep water handy for the dry mouth.

What it feels like, minute by minute. Most people report the first shift within a few minutes of smoking or vaping: background noise drops, the mood lifts, and colours and music sharpen. The mental peak lands roughly 20 to 40 minutes in, chatty and giggly in company. From there the body catches up and the whole thing winds down over two to three hours. Edibles run a different clock entirely: 30 to 90 minutes before anything starts, then longer and heavier across the board.

Side effects worth knowing. Dry mouth and dry eyes are the usual pair, and they bite a little harder here because the candy nose makes it easy to keep puffing. A minority report a light headache or a flutter of anxiety at high doses, more often with the heavier Skittlz cut. Water, a moderate dose and a lower vape temperature cover most of it.

Skittles vs similar strains

Against Zkittlez it is the same Z plant under its street name; our Zkittlez guide goes deeper on the Emerald Cup history and the cut. Runtz is its most famous child (Zkittlez x Gelato), creamier and more sugary. Gruntz adds Grape Ape back in for an even grapier take, and Rainbow Runtz pushes the candy further. If you like the fruit but want more body, Purple Punch is the dessert-indica move.