At Nimbus, breeding is about discovery. A single seed can unlock a new expression of cannabis. Whether it’s a flavor bomb, a powerful effect, or a combination that surprises us.

You’ve probably heard the words cultivar, strain, and even chemovar thrown around. They’re often used interchangeably, but each carries a slightly different meaning.

Cultivars, Strains, and Chemovars, What’s the Difference?

• Cultivar is short for “cultivated variety.” It’s a horticultural term used across all of agriculture in tomatoes, apples, cannabis, you name it. With cannabis, a cultivar usually means a line that’s been intentionally selected and stabilized for traits like flavor, cannabinoid potency, or yield.
• Strain is the traditional cannabis culture word. It describes a specific variety that carries certain recognizable traits, whether Sativa, Indica or hybrid. Names often come from origin stories, breeders, or standout characteristics. Some classic examples would be the OG Kush, Trainwreck or Gelato.
• Chemovar is a more recent scientific term, combining chemical and variety. It refers to the plant’s unique chemical profile of not just THC and CBD, but the full spectrum of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that shape how a strain smells, tastes, and feels. For patients and consumers, chemovar can be a more precise way to understand effects.

The Art (and Work) of Pheno Hunting

Once a breeder makes a cross, the real work begins: pheno hunting. This means germinating and growing out dozens or even hundreds of seeds from that cross, then evaluating each individual plant (each phenotype) for the traits you want.

One might have the resin production you’re looking for. Another has the perfect terpene expression. A third might hit with the potency or effect that makes it stand out. Selecting the “keeper” plants takes patience, intuition, and years of experience.

Some breeders now use advanced tools like genetic mapping and metabolomics to speed the process, but at its core, pheno hunting is still an art form. It’s about tasting, smelling, and seeing what makes a plant exceptional.

Shaping the Experience

At Nimbus, we see breeding as a way of shaping experiences. Whether it’s a fruit-forward sativa built for creative mornings or a resin-dripping indica hybrid for evening relaxation, every decision in the breeding process ripples forward to the people who eventually light it up.

The choices breeders make define the medicine, the flavors, and the highs of tomorrow. For us, that means carefully hunting phenos, selecting only the best, and sharing the results through small-batch craft flower.

The future of cannabis is written one seed, one phenotype, one generation at a time, and we’re just getting started.