Flavonoid Pigments

Flavonoid pigments are polyphenolic compounds responsible for much of the visible coloration in cannabis plants, ranging from deep purples and blues to reds and yellows. These water-soluble molecules accumulate in plant cell vacuoles and are influenced by genetics, pH levels, temperature, and light exposure during growth. Flavonoids serve protective functions in plants, including UV filtration and antioxidant activity. In cannabis breeding, phenotypic color expression tied to flavonoid profiles has become a selection criterion, particularly in cultivars marketed for distinctive visual traits. Research continues on the full scope of flavonoid diversity across cannabis germplasm, though identification remains complex due to environmental modulation of expression.

Breeders often select for stable flavonoid expression to establish consistent plant coloration within a line, using visual phenotyping as a marker for trait stability. Understanding flavonoid inheritance patterns helps develop cultivars with predictable pigmentation under varying cultivation conditions.