Hella Jelly

You’re more than aware of the old school hitters from Humboldt Seed Company like Humboldt Dream, Blueberry Muffin, and Humboldt Sour Diesel. But what about the new school strains they’ve been dropping? One of those new kids on the block for HSC is Hella Jelly. It is absolutely potent, absolutely delicious, and absolutely worth your time and dollars, whether you’re looking to grow your own, or simply consume this purple beauty.

Here’s what you should know about what the Hella Jelly cannabis strain is, how it grows, and what it smells, tastes, and feels like. 

Bred by Humboldt Seed Company, Hella Jelly (formerly called Jelly Rancher) is a sativa-dominant hybrid cannabis strain (30% indica, 70% sativa). Its average THC content falls between 26% and 30%. The strain was bred by crossing Hella Jelly BX3, Notorious T.H.C., and Very Cherry. The result is a fruity treat with potent effects that will satisfy the desires of cannabis consumers of all tolerance levels.

Hella Jelly Bx3 is a triple backcross of Hella Jelly with itself; Notorious T.H.C. is an indica-dominant cross of Humboldt OG and Caramel Cream; and Very Cherry is a hybrid cross of Lemon Kush Bx3 with a strain from an old school Humboldt grower’s headstash.

Hella Jelly was the winner of Humboldt Seed Company’s 2019 Phenotype Mega-Hunt, but still took a couple of years of work before the strain was ready to bless the world. The strain was used as one of the mystery clones in the 2021 Grow-Off competition.

The Grow-Off is an annual cannabis competition where participants are given the same mystery clones to grow. The winners are based on whoever’s plants have the highest cannabinoid and terpene content. The awards are championship belts like wrestling.

Hella Jelly seeds from Humboldt Seed Company are feminized, which means they are 99% guaranteed to only produce female plants. Only female cannabis plants produce flowers that we can smoke/vaporize. Male cannabis plants produce pollen sacs.

Hella Jelly is described as a sativa plant with indica structure. It is known as a vigorous hybrid that is easy to grow. Even novice consumers can produce some really great weed from these seeds. It requires little fertilizer and effort to bring healthy Hella Jelly to life. 

The strain grows well in all growing environments (indoors, outdoors, and greenhouses), but it is particularly ideal for climates with earlier fall weather. Hella Jelly flowers within 45 days when grown indoors. Outdoors, its harvest time typically falls between September 15 and September 30.

For expert Hella Jelly cultivation information, we defer to Jeff of SFC Grown. In a piece published in Skunk Magazine, the two-time Grow-Off Champion states “Hella Jelly is hella fun to grow! One of the more unique experiences I’ve had on my cannabis journey was the opportunity to grow Hella Jelly in the Grow Off 2021.”

About Hella Jelly’s appearance, Jeff states “this bud has small and fat, rounded bright neon green nugs with golden undertones, red-orange hairs and a coating of tiny golden-white crystal trichomes.”

On how Hella Jelly grows, the Grow-Off champ says “It is truly an aggressive growing stain. Whether you’re talking about the insane roots, the rapid vegetative growth, or the quick bloom cycle, it outperforms most. The root growth was really vigorous, and I had roots busting out the sides of my Smartpots. I gave it one deep cut to take off the top as a clone and that alone made it just explode.”

With Hella Jelly, you can expect very impressive yields. If your goal is to grow a few months’ worth of weed, the seeds will deliver. “The flower progression is so fat that I’d wake up every day excited to go check on the plants. By the final weeks, they packed on so much weight that the tops were flopping all over the place. I would recommend a second trellis,” Jeff says. “The finished product ended up being chunky and dense, with buds coated in trichomes that made my jar smell like a fruit basket. I only had the two plants, but they gave such a hefty yield that the results kept me happy for months. I love this strain for my indoor setup, and with a nice medium height and short bloom cycle, this one is as close to instant gratification as you can get. She’s definitely a keeper in my book.”

If you love a vibrant terpene profile that screams with notes of blue cotton candy, strawberries, and grapes, Hella Jelly could be your next favorite strain. When growing his clones, Jeff stated “By week 4, the bud sites were filled in, and it started kicking off sweet, fruity terpenes that made the room smell like a candy shop.” He continues to say “Hella Jelly has a sweet and fruity cherry berry flavor with hints of sugary grapes and tropical mango jelly.”

According to Leafly’s verified strain data, Hella Jelly’s terpene profile holds dominance in caryophyllene, myrcene, and humulene. Terpenes are the aromatic compounds that contribute to the way a cannabis strain smells, tastes, and potentially feels.

Caryophyllene is a plant terpene found in spices, black pepper, cloves, hops, and cinnamon, and of course, cannabis. It is associated with anti-anxiety effects. Strains like GSC, Bubba Kush, and Sunset Sherbert are dominant in caryophyllene.

Myrcene is a plant terpene found in hops, lemongrass, and mangos. It is expected to contribute to the sedative feeling people feel after smoking certain cannabis strains. Some research has suggested that myrcene is responsible for the couch-lock effects that people usually attribute to indica strains. Strains like Blue Dream, Granddaddy Purple, and Mango Kush are high in myrcene. 

Humulene is a plant terpene often found in hops, sage, and ginseng. It is associated with anti-inflammatory effects, amongst other therapeutic uses. Strains like Death Star, Skywalker OG, and Thin Mint GSC feature higher-than-usual  amounts of humulene.

These are the most dominant terpenes in the plant’s profile, but it’s important to know that there are many other plant compounds that combine to produce Hella Jelly’s aroma, flavor, and experience.

Hella Jelly has quick-hitting effects that leaves most people feeling relaxed, energetic, and euphoric. Vibe by California describes Hella Jelly as creative, energizing, euphoric, focused, relaxing, and uplifting. Leafly states its top three effects are happy, giggly, and relaxed. What that all means if you will be absolutely stoned after consuming Hella Jelly flower and/or concentrates. However, even with that heavy high, you’ll still be functional enough to power through the day’s to-do list with a smile on your face. 

With all cannabis strains, it’s important to remember our experiences are individualistic. Highs vary between consumers. That’s because we all have an endocannabinoid system that processes cannabis compounds based on our physical makeups. So what is a relaxing body high for you could be an anxious head high for someone else.