Melonade Strain

Melonade Strain: Watermelon Lemonade in a Jar

The Melonade strain is a California cross of Watermelon Zkittlez and Lemon Tree, bred by Midwest Best and pheno-hunted with Alien Labs. The name tells you the flavor: sweet candy watermelon up front, bright lemonade behind it. The high is the other half of the pitch — energetic, uplifted and clear enough to use during the day. It won first place for sativa at High Times' first legal Cannabis Cup, and it sits right in the fruity, daytime corner of our THCA flower collection conversation.

It's also a strain where the databases quietly disagree. One lists Lemon Zkittlez instead of Watermelon Zkittlez, one credits a different breeder, and the "indica or sativa" answer depends on who you ask. Below: where Melonade really comes from, what the potency numbers mean, how the high unfolds, how to use it, how to grow it and how to judge a bag.

Melonade Strain Genetics & Lineage

• Type: Sativa-leaning hybrid. Leafly calls it a hybrid; AllBud lists it as about 90% sativa; Alien Labs sells it as a sativa. SeedFinder's basic-info field says indica — while the same page describes its first-place sativa win. The effects settle it: Melonade behaves like a sativa.
• Ancestry: Watermelon Zkittlez × Lemon Tree. Per SeedFinder, the pollen came from a reversed Lemon Tree #11 clone, dusted onto a Watermelon Zkittlez female grown from Dying Breed Seeds stock.
• Breeder: Midwest Best — credited by Leafly, SeedFinder and GrowDiaries. SeedFinder says the breeder moved from Northwest Indiana to California, and that Alien Labs helped run the pheno hunt.
• THC: Leafly lists 21%; AllBud 24–27%; Weedmaps 20–27%; GrowDiaries' listing 25%.
• CBD: Negligible — GrowDiaries lists 0.1%. Leafly lists about 1% CBG.
• Seeds: SeedFinder notes the Midwest Best cut has never been released as feminized seed, so the original is effectively clone-only.

Where the sources disagree

Three conflicts show up when you line the databases up side by side:

• Watermelon Zkittlez or Lemon Zkittlez? Leafly, SeedFinder, Weedmaps and Alien Labs all say Watermelon Zkittlez. AllBud says Lemon Zkittlez, and a Canadian Melonade sold by Harts is listed as Lemon Tree × Lemon Skittlez. The watermelon version is the documented original; the others are likely different cuts sold under the same name — or a data-entry slip.
• Midwest Best or Dying Breed? Weedmaps credits Dying Breed. SeedFinder's account explains the overlap: Dying Breed bred the Watermelon Zkittlez seeds that became the mother; Midwest Best made the cross.
• Which Melonade? The name has spawned relatives that are not the same strain — Lit Farms' Melonade 5.0 and Melonade Sundae, Black Farm Genetix's Lava Melonade, Tiki Madman's Garanimals × Melonade, and Dutch Passion's Auto Melonade Runtz. And Gelonade (Lemon Tree × Gelato #41) is a Lemon Tree sibling, not a typo.

The cup win

Alien Labs and Weedmaps both say Melonade won first place for best sativa at High Times' first legal Cannabis Cup; SeedFinder places that win at the 2018 NorCal Cannabis Cup. Leafly lists Devil Driver and Biskante among its offspring — proof that breeders took it seriously after the win.

Melonade Terpene Profile

The two most-cited sources don't agree on the lead. Leafly lists pinene as the most abundant terpene, followed by myrcene and caryophyllene. Alien Labs, which grows and sells the cut, lists caryophyllene, limonene and myrcene. Both are plausible — terpene results shift from grower to grower and batch to batch, and the lemonade note almost always points to limonene in the mix. Pinene is also one of the most-studied terpenes; a review in the British Journal of Pharmacology covers its proposed interactions with cannabinoids.

• Caryophyllene: The peppery note that keeps the sweetness from turning cloying — Alien Labs lists it first.
• Limonene: The lemonade. It's the signature of the Lemon Tree side and tracks with the bright, upbeat onset.
• Pinene: Leafly's dominant terpene for Melonade — fresh pine and part of why reviewers call the high clear-headed.
• Myrcene: Ripe, musky fruit that rounds out the melon and gives the body a soft floor.

The watermelon itself isn't one terpene — it's the candy-fruit chemistry of the Zkittlez family, layered over Lemon Tree's citrus.

Appearance

Melonade is a looker. AllBud describes dense, spade-shaped buds in bright neon green, wrapped in orange hairs and coated in amber-gold trichomes. Leafly reviewers describe "dense and compact" nugs in vibrant greens with bright orange pistils. Alien Labs calls it "resin-covered," and the frost is heavy enough that cooler-grown batches can look silver from across a room.

Aroma and Flavor

The breeder's own description, via SeedFinder, is the best one: "watermelon lemonade" with a "Fruity Pebbles cereal milk" sweetness. Open a jar and you get candy melon first, then fresh-squeezed lemon, with pine and a faint pepper behind it.

• Leafly flavors: lemon, tropical, citrus — reviewers add "very prominent melon taste on the front end."
• Weedmaps reported flavors: citrus (52%), lemon (30%), apricot (17%).
• AllBud: citrus, fruity, herbal, lemon, sour and spicy, with user reviews adding melon, pine, honey and cotton candy.

The inhale is sweet and fruity; the exhale is lemon zest with a light pine-pepper finish. Lemon-dominant cuts lean sharper and slightly gassier — that's the Sour Diesel buried in Lemon Tree's family tree.

Recreational Effects

Melonade is a daytime strain. Leafly describes the high as "euphoric and cerebral," a good fit for "an energizing afternoon." Its most-reported effects on Leafly are:

• Energetic: the headline effect — a lift you can actually get things done on.
• Uplifted: a fast mood boost, consistent with the limonene-forward nose.
• Aroused: Leafly's third-most-reported effect — a social, physical warmth.

AllBud adds creative, focused, happy and — at lower doses — calming. AllBud reviewers call it "giggly" and long-lasting.

How the high unfolds: onset, peak and duration

• First 5–10 minutes: a quick, bright head change and a lift in mood.
• 15–60 minutes: the peak — energetic, talkative, focused, with a light body.
• 1–3 hours: a gentle taper rather than a crash. There's little couch-lock unless you take a lot.

What gets you high the longest? It's a common question on this keyword. No strain wins on duration alone — inhaled flower usually lasts 1–3 hours whatever the name, and edibles last far longer. Dose and method matter more than genetics.

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

How Strong Is Melonade?

Melonade is strong by any standard. The published numbers:

• Leafly: 21% THC and about 1% CBG — "higher THC than average."
• AllBud: 24–27% average, which it calls "insanely high."
• Weedmaps: 20–27%.
• GrowDiaries listing: 25% THC, 0.1% CBD.

So a realistic range is the low-20s to the high-20s. What makes it feel strong isn't just THC — it's the fast, energetic onset. Low-tolerance users sometimes find the first 20 minutes racy, which is typical of bright, citrus-led sativas.

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 Melonade batch against the 20–27% 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.

Melonade vs Similar Strains

• vs Lemon Tree: the parent. Lemon Tree is louder lemon-diesel and more balanced; Melonade adds candy watermelon and a more energetic lean.
• vs Zkittlez: the family behind the candy fruit. Zkittlez is calmer and more indica-leaning; Melonade is brighter and more daytime.
• vs Gelonade: a Lemon Tree sibling crossed with Gelato #41 instead of Watermelon Zkittlez — creamier, more dessert, more relaxed.
• vs Super Lemon Haze and Lemon Skunk: classic lemon sativas. Melonade is sweeter and fruitier; the hazes are sharper and more cerebral.
• vs Strawberry 2.1: berry instead of melon, with a calmer body under the lift. It's the closest sweet-fruit, sativa-leaning match on our shelf. For more citrus, Lemon Cherry Gelato is the lemon-forward option.

Who Melonade Is (and Isn't) For

Good fit: daytime smokers, fruit-and-citrus flavor chasers, creative work, outdoor plans and social afternoons.

Poor fit: anyone looking for a sleep strain, and low-tolerance users prone to racing thoughts. For a gentler fruit profile, Strawberry 2.1 keeps a calmer body under the lift.

How to Use Melonade 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 watermelon and lemonade. Around 340–375°F keeps the citrus and fruit terpenes; going higher brings out the pepper and pine but mutes the candy.
• 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 minutes — the energetic onset can feel racy if you rush it. Regular users usually find two or three hits gives the full daytime arc. 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: about 20% of Leafly reviewers — though at high doses its energy can work the other way.
• Low mood: about 18%, consistent with the uplifted, euphoric headline effects.
• Stress: about 16%.
• Focus and fatigue: AllBud lists ADD/ADHD and reviewers describe it as a daytime focus strain.
• Congestion: a few Leafly reviewers report it feels like it opens up their sinuses — anecdote, not evidence.

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 eyes and dry mouth — Leafly's two most-reported negatives.
• Dizziness — the third, usually from taking too much too fast.
• Racy or anxious feelings — possible with energetic, citrus-heavy strains at high doses or low tolerance.

Is Melonade good for sleep? Not usually — it's energizing. 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 Melonade Top Shelf? How to Judge a Good Bag

• Melon and lemon. A real Melonade has both. Pure lemon-gas with no candy fruit is a different cut — or a different strain using the name.
• Ask about the cut. Midwest Best / Alien Labs genetics are the original; Melonade 5.0, Melonade Sundae and Melonade Runtz are different strains.
• A current third-party COA naming the lab, with THCA, delta-9 and total THC. Ours are on the lab results page.
• Heavy frost on dense, neon-green buds with bright orange hairs.
• A proper cure. Citrus terpenes are the first to fade; flat, hay-like flower has lost the lemonade.

Growing Melonade

Melonade is a moderate-difficulty grow — GrowDiaries suggests it for growers with some experience. The original cut was never released as feminized seed, so most home growers are working from clones or from other breeders' Melonade crosses.

• Flowering: SeedFinder lists about 49 days (7 weeks); Weedmaps 7–9 weeks; GrowDiaries 6–9 weeks. One grow guide notes melon-leaning phenos finish faster than lemon-leaning ones.
• Yield: Weedmaps reports medium-to-high yields; one guide cites 400–550 g/m² indoors under dialed-in conditions.
• Stretch: moderate — roughly 1.5–2x after the flip, per the same guide. Top or train early.
• Environment: indoors or outdoors. Cooler nights late in flower can bring out lavender tones.
• Cure: slow-dry and cure for several weeks — the lemonade nose tightens up noticeably with time in the jar.

Is Melonade 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 — sweet fruit and a sativa-leaning, uplifting high — our closest match to Melonade's daytime energy.
• 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 Melonade a sativa or an indica?

Melonade is a sativa-leaning hybrid. Leafly calls it a hybrid, AllBud lists it as about 90% sativa, and Alien Labs sells it as a sativa — and it won first place in a sativa category. Its effects are energetic and uplifting.

What is Melonade a cross of?

Watermelon Zkittlez × Lemon Tree, per Leafly, SeedFinder, Weedmaps and Alien Labs. AllBud lists Lemon Zkittlez instead, and a Canadian Melonade is sold as Lemon Tree × Lemon Skittlez.

Who bred Melonade?

Midwest Best, with Alien Labs helping run the pheno hunt. Weedmaps credits Dying Breed, which bred the Watermelon Zkittlez seeds used as the mother.

How strong is Melonade?

Leafly lists 21% THC; AllBud 24–27%; Weedmaps 20–27%. It's strong, with a fast, energetic onset — start with a small puff.

What does Melonade taste like?

Watermelon lemonade — sweet candy melon on the inhale, fresh lemon on the exhale, with a light pine-pepper finish. The breeder adds a 'Fruity Pebbles cereal milk' sweetness.

What are Melonade's effects?

Leafly's most-reported effects are energetic, uplifted and aroused; AllBud adds creative, focused and happy. Most people use it during the day.

Did Melonade win an award?

Yes. Alien Labs and Weedmaps say it took first place for best sativa at High Times' first legal Cannabis Cup — the 2018 NorCal Cup, per SeedFinder.

Is Melonade good for anxiety?

It's mixed. About 20% of Leafly reviewers say it helps, but energetic citrus strains can feel racy at high doses. Keep the dose low.

Is Melonade good for sleep?

Not usually. It's an energizing daytime strain; choose something heavier for bedtime.

Is Melonade the same as Gelonade or Melonade 5.0?

No. Gelonade is Lemon Tree × Gelato #41, and Melonade 5.0 and Melonade Sundae are separate Lit Farms strains. They share a name theme, not the same genetics.

How long does Melonade take to flower?

About 7–9 weeks indoors. SeedFinder lists roughly 49 days; Weedmaps 7–9 weeks.

Where can I buy Melonade THCA flower online?

Melonade isn't in the Diesel Hemp shop right now. The closest match is Strawberry 2.1 THCA Flower — a sativa-leaning Strawberry Guava cross with sweet fruit and an uplifting daytime lift, from $22, third-party lab tested, with free shipping over $75. Want more citrus? Try Lemon Cherry Gelato.

Related Strains

• Lemon Tree — Melonade's lemon-diesel parent.
• Zkittlez — the candy-fruit family behind Watermelon Zkittlez.
• Gelonade — the Lemon Tree × Gelato #41 sibling.
• Strawberry 2.1 — our closest in-stock sweet-fruit match.
• Lemon Cherry Gelato — the citrus-forward option on our shelf.
• Super Lemon Haze — a classic lemon sativa for comparison.
• Lemon Skunk — the lemon line behind Lemon Tree.
• Sour Diesel — the diesel in Lemon Tree's family tree.
• Tangie — another bright, citrus-led daytime sativa.
• Dante's Inferno — Oreoz × Devil Driver — Devil Driver is Sundae Driver × Melonade.
• Browse the Full Diesel Hemp Encyclopedia