A cultivar is a plant variety that has been deliberately selected and bred to maintain specific, stable characteristics across generations. The word itself is a contraction of “cultivated variety.” In hemp, cultivars are bred to reliably produce particular cannabinoid levels, terpene profiles, plant structure and yield, making the term more precise than the loosely used word “strain,” which carries no formal botanical definition.
Cultivar in detail
In formal botany and agriculture, a cultivar is defined by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP) as a plant grouping that is distinct, uniform and stable. “Distinct” means it differs from other cultivars in at least one characteristic; “uniform” means those characteristics are consistent across the plants in a batch; “stable” means they remain consistent after repeated propagation. These are meaningful standards – a cultivar name is only valid if the plant reliably reproduces its defining traits.
For hemp, this matters because the cannabinoid and terpene profile of a plant is largely determined by genetics. A well-stabilised cultivar bred for high CBD and low THC will consistently produce those ratios when grown under similar conditions. This is why EU-approved hemp cultivars must appear on the EU Common Catalogue – a regulatory list confirming that registered varieties meet the legal THC threshold and have demonstrated genetic stability.
The terpene signature of a cultivar is equally fixed by its genetics. A cultivar known for caryophyllene dominance will produce that character reliably across harvests, which is what makes terpene profiling on a COA useful – it reflects the cultivar’s genuine chemical identity rather than a one-off result. These consistent profiles also drive the entourage effect: predictable cannabinoid and terpene ratios mean a more predictable combined effect as the plant’s compounds work together.
Practical use of cultivar
When you are browsing CBD hemp flower, the cultivar name is your starting point for understanding what a product should deliver – but it is only reliable when the grower has used genuinely stabilised genetics and backs each batch with third-party lab testing. A cultivar with a well-documented terpene profile gives you a reasonable basis for comparison between products.
It is also worth knowing that CBD oil quality is tied to the source cultivar. Oils extracted from a consistent, high-CBD cultivar will produce more predictable bioavailability and cannabinoid content than those sourced from mixed or unstabilised plant material.
Cultivar best practices
- Cross-reference the cultivar name with the batch COA – a reputable retailer will show per-harvest lab results, not just a generic cultivar profile
- Do not treat “strain” and “cultivar” as interchangeable; strain is an informal term with no botanical standard, while cultivar implies documented stability and selectivity
- When comparing CBD flower products, look at whether the cultivar is EU-registered – it is a reasonable baseline indicator that the genetics have been formally assessed for THC compliance
- Store flower from any cultivar in an airtight, opaque container; even the most stable genetics cannot compensate for poor post-harvest conditions that degrade terpenes and cannabinoids
Browse our CBD hemp flower range to explore cultivars with full batch COAs and detailed cannabinoid and terpene data.