Apple Pie Strain

Apple Pie Strain: An Old-School Sativa That Smells Like Dessert

The Apple Pie strain sounds like a modern candy-dessert cross, but the most widely documented version is the opposite — a sativa built from two classic landraces, Acapulco Gold from Mexico and Highland Nepalese from the Himalayas. It smells like sweet-and-sour apple with a cinnamon edge and a nutty, earthy base, and one Leafly reviewer says it "smells like hot apple pie when it burns." The high is no slice-of-pie nap, either: energetic, euphoric and focused, with only a light body ease. For bright daytime flower, start with our THCA flower collection.

It's also a name with baggage. At least three different breeders have released plants called Apple Pie, Leafly lists "Sweet Apple Crumble Pie" as an alias even though a grower uses that name for a completely different indica, and the type labels don't agree. Below: what the databases actually say, how the high unfolds, what the potency numbers mean, how to grow the slow-flowering landrace version, and how to judge a bag.

Apple Pie Strain Genetics & Lineage

• Type: Sativa-leaning. AllBud lists it as a sativa-dominant hybrid, 70% sativa and 30% indica. Leafly labels it a hybrid in the header but calls it "a sativa weed strain" in its description. SeedFinder lists the Scott Family Farms version as mostly sativa.
• Parents: Acapulco Gold × Nepalese — Leafly, AllBud, SeedFinder and SF Station all agree. AllBud and SeedFinder specify Highland Nepalese.
• Breeder: SeedFinder credits Scott Family Farms, describing it as a landrace-based line for Haze fans. Leafly lists the breeder as unknown. We couldn't find a release year or the breeder's own story behind the name.
• THC: about 20% on Leafly, with roughly 1% CBG; AllBud lists 24–25%.
• CBD: not listed by any source we checked — expect it to be negligible.
• Aliases: Leafly lists "Sweet Apple Crumble Pie." Treat that with caution (see below).

Where the parents come from

Both sides of Apple Pie are landraces — plants that adapted to one region over generations rather than being bred in a modern lab-and-greenhouse program.

• Acapulco Gold — the legendary golden sativa from the hills around Acapulco, Mexico, and one of the most famous names of the 1960s and '70s. It's the likely source of the uplifting, motivated head.
• Highland Nepalese — a mountain landrace from Nepal. SeedFinder traces this side of Scott Family Farms' line to Nepal. Himalayan landraces are known for resin and earthy, hashy notes, which may explain the nutty, spicy base under the apple.

There's no Sour Apple, Apple Fritter or any apple-named strain in this pedigree. The apple comes from the terpene chemistry of the cross, not from a fruit-named parent.

Three strains called Apple Pie

SeedFinder lists three separate plants with this name:

• Scott Family Farms' Apple Pie — Acapulco Gold landrace × Highland Nepalese landrace. This is the version that matches Leafly, AllBud and the California-grown flower reviewed by SF Station, so it's the one this page covers.
• Alien Genetics' Apple Pie — Slymer × Sour Apple IBL. A different plant entirely, with a Sour Apple parent.
• Secretfile Genetic's Apple Pie — a Fuji Juice line the breeder describes as having an apple aroma, thick calyxes and tower-shaped, resin-heavy colas, flowering in about 58 days.

If a menu lists Apple Pie with a short flowering time, a dessert-cross lineage or an indica label, it's probably one of the newer versions, not the landrace sativa.

The "Sweet Apple Crumble Pie" problem

Leafly's page lists "aka Sweet Apple Crumble Pie." But Verano, a multi-state cannabis company that sells a strain under that name, describes its Sweet Apple Crumble Pie as Sour Apple × Triple Kush — and calls it an indica. That's a different plant from an Acapulco Gold × Nepalese sativa. We'd treat the alias as a database merge, not proof they're the same strain.

Apple Pie Terpene Profile

Leafly's terpene chart lists caryophyllene as Apple Pie's dominant terpene, followed by myrcene and limonene — though its written description names myrcene as dominant, so the top two are close or batch-dependent. One long strain guide adds humulene and linalool, but cites no lab data. Caryophyllene is the one with real research behind it: a 2008 PNAS study identified beta-caryophyllene as a "dietary cannabinoid" that binds CB2 receptors.

• Caryophyllene: The peppery, cinnamon-like spice that makes the "pie" part of the name believable. It's also the terpene behind the warm, baked note reviewers notice when the flower burns.
• Myrcene: Earthy, herbal and musky. It likely accounts for the nutty, herbal exhale AllBud describes, and for the light body ease at the end of the high.
• Limonene: The sour-bright edge on the apple, and part of why the high reads energetic rather than sleepy.
• Humulene: Woody and dry. A strain guide credits it without lab data — treat it as plausible, not proven.

As with most "apple" strains, no single terpene smells like apple. It's the blend — sour citrus, warm spice and an earthy base together — that your nose reads as a fresh-baked pie.

Appearance

AllBud describes long, fluffy, spade-shaped nugs in forest green, with sparse orange hairs and a heavy coat of tiny golden-amber trichomes. That shape fits the sativa side — airier, more elongated buds rather than dense indica golf balls. One Leafly reviewer just called it "really green ganja" and "so pretty." Don't expect purple; the color here is classic green and gold.

Aroma and Flavor

Break up a bud and the first thing you get is sweet-and-sour apple, then an earthy, nutty undertone that gets more pungent when you light it, per AllBud. A Leafly reviewer describes green apple and cinnamon and says it "smells like hot apple pie when it burns." SF Station reviewed a California-grown batch from CAM (California Artisanal Medicine in Sacramento) and found a strong sour funk paired with sweet apple, then an earthy, herbal taste with a nutty, smoky exhale.

On the flavor side, AllBud lists sour apple with a nutty, herbal exhale. Leafly's tags are apple, blue cheese and cheese, and its description adds apricot — so some cuts carry a savory, funky edge under the fruit, likely from the landrace side. If you want pure candy apple, this isn't it. If you want apple pie with the crust, spice and a little funk, it is.

Recreational Effects

Apple Pie is a daytime strain first. On Leafly, where it holds a 4.5 rating from 43 ratings, the most-reported effects are:

• Energetic: the headline effect, and the Acapulco Gold side showing through.
• Euphoric: SF Station's reviewer called it "intensely euphoric and inspiring" — enough to start on work they hadn't planned to do.
• Focused: clear and task-friendly. One Leafly reviewer found it "a little too focused."
• Motivated and uplifted: AllBud's description — a mentally energizing high with light body relaxation.
• Giggly — and sometimes sleepy: Leafly's description lists both. The sleepy end shows up late in the session or at higher doses.

How the high unfolds: onset, peak and duration

• First few minutes: a quick, cerebral mood lift.
• 15–60 minutes: the peak — social, focused and euphoric.
• 1–3 hours: one Leafly reviewer describes a "long, drawn out high that starts off social and focused and ends up euphoric and relaxed."

A few reviewers call it a "heavy hitter" and say it's for experienced consumers, which Leafly echoes. Start low, and keep it to the daytime unless you know how it hits you.

→ Experience it yourself — shop Diesel Hemp's THCA Flower

How Strong Is Apple Pie?

Apple Pie sits above average for flower, though the landrace heritage means it's not built to chase record numbers. The published figures:

• Leafly: 20% THC, about 1% CBG.
• AllBud: 24–25% THC on average.

One long online strain guide gives an 18–24% range and terpene percentages, but cites no lab results, so we haven't relied on it. Realistically, a well-grown cut lands somewhere around 20–25%. Reviewers still describe it as strong — sativa highs with a fast, heady onset often feel more intense than the number suggests.

THCA flower is labeled differently from dispensary flower: the lab reports THCA, which converts to THC when heated, plus a small amount of delta-9 THC. When you compare a batch of Apple Pie against the 18–25% range above, compare total THC on the COA, not the headline number — our guide on how to read a THCA flower COA walks through the math.

Why the Landrace Parents Matter

Most "dessert" strains today come from Cookies, Gelato or Runtz lines. Apple Pie is different: both parents are landraces, so it behaves more like the classic sativas of the 1970s than a modern hybrid. SeedFinder says Scott Family Farms recommends it for Haze fans, and that tells you a lot — long flowering, big plants, and a clear, energetic head instead of a heavy body. The flip side is that grow-room-friendly traits (short flowering, compact structure) aren't its strength. If you're used to fast indica-leaning hybrids, Apple Pie will feel like a different era of cannabis — which is part of its appeal.

Apple Pie vs Similar Strains

• vs Acapulco Gold: the parent. Acapulco Gold brings the golden, uplifting head; Apple Pie adds the Nepalese earth and spice and a sweeter, apple-forward nose.
• vs Apple Fritter: similar bakery name, different family. Apple Fritter is a modern Sour Apple × Animal Cookies hybrid with a dense, dessert-and-gas profile and a heavier body. Apple Pie is a lighter, more energetic landrace sativa.
• vs Apple Tartz: Clearwater Genetics' Runtz × Apple Fritter — candy gas and sour apple, often an evening smoke. Apple Pie is the daytime option.
• vs Sour Apple: the tart, diesel-tinged apple strain that sits behind Apple Fritter and Alien Genetics' Apple Pie. Landrace Apple Pie is earthier and spicier.
• vs Durban Poison and Haze: fellow old-school sativas. If you like the clean, energetic, creative landrace high, these are its relatives in spirit.
• vs Strawberry 2.1: our featured in-stock pick, and honestly not a twin. Both are bright, sativa-leaning and social, but Strawberry 2.1 runs ripe strawberry with a faint gas finish instead of sour apple and cinnamon. For a dessert-side flavor, our Dayglow Mousse leans sweeter.

Who Apple Pie Is (and Isn't) For

Good fit: daytime smokers who want energy and focus, creative work, outdoor afternoons, fans of classic sativas and Haze-style highs, and anyone curious about landrace genetics with a dessert-y nose.

Poor fit: people looking for a heavy sleep strain, and anyone prone to THC anxiety — "paranoid" is one of Leafly's reported negatives. New consumers should go slowly; Leafly frames it as a strain for experienced users. For a sweet, easygoing daytime flower on our shelf, Strawberry 2.1 is the pick, from $22.

How to Use Apple Pie THCA Flower — and How Much

THCA has to be heated to do anything. Raw, it isn't intoxicating; heat converts it to THC (decarboxylation), which is why the method matters as much as the strain.

• Smoking (joint, pipe, bong): the fastest onset. Take one or two small hits, then wait 10–15 minutes before deciding on more.
• Dry-herb vaporizer: the best way to taste the apple. Lower temperatures, around 350–380°F, keep the sour-apple top note bright; 390–410°F brings out the cinnamon spice and nutty base.
• Pre-rolls: the no-prep option — see our THCA pre-rolls.
• Homemade edibles: decarb the flower first. Edibles take 30–120 minutes to kick in and last far longer, so start low and wait the full two hours.

How much? New or occasional users: one or two small puffs, then wait 15–30 minutes. Regular users usually find two or three hits gives the full energetic arc. Sativa highs can turn racy fast, so pace yourself. You can always add more; you can't take it back.

Medicinal Benefits

These are uses consumers report on Leafly and AllBud, not established clinical outcomes. Individual response varies with dose, tolerance and chemotype.

• Anxiety: the most-cited reason on Leafly (about 19% of reviewers) — though "paranoid" is also a reported negative, so dose matters.
• Stress: about 13% of Leafly reviewers; AllBud lists it too.
• Cramps: about 8% of Leafly reviewers.
• Fatigue, low mood and headaches: AllBud lists depression, fatigue (including chronic fatigue), headaches, migraines and mood swings, consistent with the energetic, euphoric headline effects.

For a plain-language primer on how terpenes are thought to shape these effects, see Project CBD on terpenes. Nothing here is medical advice, and nothing on this page is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you take prescription medication or have a health condition, talk to your doctor before using any cannabis product.

Side Effects and Cautions

• Dry mouth and dry eyes — the most common complaints on Leafly.
• Paranoia — among Leafly's reported negatives, especially at high doses or low tolerance.
• Racy or over-focused — one reviewer found it "a little too focused." Keep the first session small.

Is Apple Pie good for sleep? Not usually — it leans energizing, though some reviewers report feeling sleepy at the tail end. Don't drive after using it, and talk to your doctor first if you take prescription medication, are pregnant or nursing, or have a heart condition.

Is Apple Pie Top Shelf? How to Judge a Good Bag

• Ask which Apple Pie it is. Acapulco Gold × Nepalese is the documented landrace version; a dessert-cross lineage or an indica label means a different plant.
• A current third-party COA naming the lab, with THCA, delta-9 and total THC. Treat 30%+ claims without paperwork as marketing. Ours are on the lab results page.
• Apple and spice. Real Apple Pie has sweet-sour apple over cinnamon, earth and nut. Flat, hay-like flower with no fruit is old or mislabeled.
• Sativa structure — long, spade-shaped, forest-green buds with golden-amber frost. Tight purple nugs suggest a different cut.
• A proper cure — slightly sticky, not crumbly, with a smell that jumps out of the bag.

Growing Apple Pie

The Scott Family Farms version is a landrace-based sativa, and it grows like one.

• Flowering: about 98 days per SeedFinder — roughly 14 weeks. A long online strain guide says 9–10 weeks, but without a source; plan for the long end.
• Size: SeedFinder describes "huge" and vigorous sativa plants. Indoors, top early and use low-stress training or a screen to control stretch.
• Yield: large — the breeder description cited by SeedFinder estimates around 12–16 ounces per plant in southern climates.
• Climate: long, warm seasons suit it best. Outdoors in northern regions, a 14-week flower can run into fall weather; a greenhouse or light-dep helps.
• Seeds: SeedFinder says it has never been available as feminized seeds. Secretfile Genetic's feminized Apple Pie is a different, faster (about 58 days) Fuji Juice line.

Is Apple Pie THCA Flower Legal?

Under the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp is federally legal when it contains no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis — see the USDA hemp program. THCA flower is sold under that rule. State laws differ and are changing, so check your state before you order. And whatever the label says, THCA flower will show up on a drug test — heated, it is THC.

Shop Premium Flower at Diesel Hemp

• Strawberry 2.1 THCA Flower — our featured pick — bright fruit and an upbeat, sativa-leaning high, from $22.
• THCA Flower — the full lineup, grown in Colorado by Diesel Hemp and partner farms.
• THCA Pre-Rolls — the same flower, pre-rolled.
• THCA Small Buds — same genetics, smaller nugs, better price per gram.
• What THCA flower actually is — the encyclopedia explainer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Apple Pie indica or sativa?

Apple Pie is sativa-leaning. AllBud lists it as 70% sativa and 30% indica, SeedFinder calls the Scott Family Farms version mostly sativa, and Leafly labels it a hybrid while describing a sativa. Most people use it in the daytime.

What is Apple Pie a cross of?

Acapulco Gold × Nepalese — two landraces. AllBud and SeedFinder specify Highland Nepalese. Other breeders have released different plants under the same name, including Alien Genetics' Slymer × Sour Apple.

Who bred Apple Pie?

SeedFinder credits Scott Family Farms for the Acapulco Gold × Highland Nepalese version. Leafly lists the breeder as unknown, and we couldn't find a release year.

How strong is Apple Pie?

Leafly lists about 20% THC with roughly 1% CBG; AllBud lists 24–25%. Reviewers still describe it as a heavy hitter, and Leafly suggests it for experienced consumers.

What does Apple Pie taste like?

Sweet-and-sour apple up front, then cinnamon spice and an earthy, nutty, herbal exhale. One Leafly reviewer says it smells like hot apple pie when it burns; some cuts add a cheesy funk.

What are the effects of Apple Pie?

Leafly reviewers report energetic, euphoric and focused effects; AllBud adds motivated and uplifted, with light body relaxation. Some reviewers describe it ending relaxed or even sleepy.

Is Apple Pie the same as Sweet Apple Crumble Pie?

Leafly lists Sweet Apple Crumble Pie as an alias, but Verano describes its Sweet Apple Crumble Pie as a Sour Apple × Triple Kush indica — a different plant from the Acapulco Gold × Nepalese sativa.

Is Apple Pie related to Apple Fritter?

No. Apple Fritter is Sour Apple × Animal Cookies, a modern dessert hybrid. Landrace Apple Pie has no apple-named parent; its apple aroma comes from its terpene blend.

Is Apple Pie good for anxiety?

It's mixed. About 19% of Leafly reviewers say it helps with anxiety, but 'paranoid' is also a reported negative. Keep the dose low.

Is Apple Pie good for sleep?

Usually not. It leans energizing, though some reviewers feel sleepy at the tail end of a session.

How long does Apple Pie take to flower?

About 98 days for the Scott Family Farms landrace version, per SeedFinder. Secretfile Genetic's different Apple Pie flowers in roughly 58 days.

Where can I buy Apple Pie THCA flower online?

Apple Pie isn't in the Diesel Hemp shop right now. Our closest everyday pick is Strawberry 2.1 THCA Flower — bright, sativa-leaning and upbeat, from $22, third-party lab tested. It runs strawberry rather than apple, so for a sweeter dessert-side option try Dayglow Mousse. Add a pre-roll to ship free over $75.

Related Strains

• Acapulco Gold — the Mexican landrace parent of Apple Pie.
• Apple Fritter — the modern dessert-apple hybrid often confused with it.
• Sour Apple — the tart apple strain behind Alien Genetics' Apple Pie.
• Apple Tartz — Runtz × Apple Fritter — candy gas and sour apple.
• Apples and Bananas — another apple-forward strain on the menu.
• Haze — the classic sativa Scott Family Farms points fans toward.
• Durban Poison — a fellow landrace sativa with a clean, energetic high.
• Blue Cheese — for the savory funk Leafly picks up in Apple Pie.
• Strawberry 2.1 — our fruit-forward, upbeat in-stock pick.
• Browse the Full Diesel Hemp Encyclopedia