Best Underrated Autoflowering Strains

Growing cannabis at home has become easier than ever. 

Thanks to recent legislation in various regions, it's as easy as purchasing your favorite seeds and cultivating them at home. 

If you're a beginner and want to dip your feet into the cannabis game, you want to start with something easy to grow and maintain.

Autoflowering strains are your best bet. But there are hundreds of strains — which one should you pick? 

In this article, we show you why you should choose autoflowering strains and the best strains you can get your hands on.

About Autoflowering Strains

Cannabis plants are of two types: autoflowering and photoperiod. The photoperiod strains are the ones whose growth depends on the light cycle, and you have to transition them from veggie to bloom manually.

On the other hand, autoflowering plants transition from veggie to bloom automatically. And they grow quickly without requiring a lot of work or maintenance, meaning they can be harvested quickly and are perfect for beginners. 

You can grow autoflowers in both indoor and outdoor environments. Plus, the good news is that they have come a long way ever since the first autoflower — Lowryder — was released. The yields weren't impressive then, but modern autoflowers are almost as good as photoperiods if you choose the right strain. 

Apart from the ease of growing, autoflowering strains are terrific for users. They offer a wide range of effects, including relaxing, creative, energetic, or sleepy highs.

Underrated Autoflowering Strains 

Picking the best one can get very confusing with so many strains around. So, to reduce your hard work and save you some time, we have selected the best autoflowering strains. So, which one do you pick if you are just starting? Below are ten of the best autoflowering strains.

Note that we have chosen strains based on specific factors such as speed, stealth, yields, etc., so there's something for everyone. For example, many users may be looking for CBD instead of THC. Thus, we have included seeds for CBD lovers as well. You may not have tried many of these strains, but they tend to perform well based on the category chosen. In short, these are some underrated strains, but you'll be glad when you try them!

1. Gorilla Cookies Auto: For the Highest THC Levels

• Effect: Relaxing cerebral effect and a potent body high
• Flavor: Earthy kush flavor with citrusy and minty undertones
• THC levels: 27%

If you love potent cannabis with high levels of THC, you should choose Gorilla Cookies Auto. Its buds are packed with 27% THC, ensuring a blazing high that will last a few hours. 

Gorilla Cookies Auto grows bushy, dense buds with light and dark green hues. And these buds have a classic earthy kush flavor with citrusy, minty undertones.

The high THC levels ensure a delightfully potent high that will relax your body, clear your mind, and give you a cerebral effect. And the high is progressive, with the body high getting stronger until the peak.

The plant itself is pretty stout, growing up to one meter, but it grows many side branches that get covered in silver-coated buds during bloom. And it only takes ten weeks to go from a seedling to a full-bloom plant. 

Expect a yield of 600 g/m2 if you grow it in ideal conditions.

Here are a few tips for growing Gorilla Cookies Auto:

• Keep a close eye on the pH of the growing medium as it is essential for cultivating massive buds and high THC levels.
• Since the buds are dense, provide extra support to the branches, so they don't sag. 
• Starting on week 3, increase the nutrient dosage since this plant is hungry most of the time.

2. Blue Cheese Auto: For Stealth

Image credit - butterflieslittlefarm

• Effect: Gradual relaxation and mellow but euphoric high
• Flavor: Berries and cheese with a musty aftertaste and fruity aroma
• THC levels: 16%

If you don't have the luxury of growing cannabis openly, you should go with the Blue Cheese Auto strain. Given its compact size, it is easy to grow in small spaces like your balcony or bedroom.

This strain is famous for its distinct flavor of cheese and berries and a musty aftertaste. And its aroma is fruity, too.

Its high is quite mellow, though, thanks to low THC levels. It gives you a mildly euphoric high that many users describe as a gradual wave of relaxation.

Being compact, it only grows to 14 to 16 inches, which is ideal for guerilla growth. However, its growth time is a little longer — typically, germination to harvest takes around 14 weeks. 

The compact size does not compromise yield, either. With ideal growing conditions, you can expect the yield to be around 400 to 500 g/m2 indoors and 60 to 150 g/m2 outdoors. And it has excellent resistance to mold, fungus, and mildew — so it's also suited for temperate and Mediterranean climates.

Another terrific benefit of this strain is that it is easy to grow. You only need to maintain the correct temperatures and humidity, give enough nutrients and water, and tend to it regularly — even if you are a novice grower, you can grow it without a lot of effort.

3. Auto Ultimate: Biggest Buds Possible

• Effect: Pleasant, euphoric, and anti-anxiety high
• Flavor: Citrus and musky aromas with earthy and piney notes
• THC levels: 18%

The Auto Ultimate autoflowering strain is a heavy-weight when it comes to yield — the plant displays exceptional vigor with monstrous buds the size of a golf ball! This strain is best for you to grow big buds easily. 

The size of buds does not compromise the high, either. The buds have a citrus, musky aroma with undernotes of earth and pine and are covered in trichomes. 

Once you smoke it in, you will be pleased with the smooth flavor and rewarded with a long-lasting euphoric high that is clear, energetic, and cerebral. Plus, it has some anxiety-reducing effects, too. 

The strain is a potent blend of Sativa and Indica genetics, so it grows quickly with vigor, growing up to two meters. It goes from seedling to bloom phases within 12 weeks in ideal conditions. And you can expect a yield of 600 g/m2. 

But don't let the size scare you. This strain is robust and relatively easy to grow, even for first-timers. Moreover, it does well in various conditions, so you don't need to dedicate a lot of time to maintain it.

Here are a few tips if you plan to grow this strain:

• First, give the plant a couple of extra weeks so the buds ripen fully before harvest.
• Since the buds are massive, use a net or cord to support them and prevent them from sagging.
• To get big buds, you must give the plant adequate water, nutrients, and lights (we recommend LED)

4. Critical Neville Haze Auto: For an Explosive Yield

• Effect: Classic Sativa effect with positive, long-lasting euphoria
• Flavor: Neutral taste with sweet, fruity notes
• THC levels: 21%

Don't look beyond Critical Neville Haze Auto by Delicious Seeds if your end goal is to get immense yield. This strain promises a yield of up to 600 g/m2 indoors and 400 g/m2 outdoors. That's a lot.

But quantity isn't its only strong suit — it has a unique flavor profile — the neutral taste is underpinned with sweet and fruity notes.

And the high is akin to a classic sativa strain, thanks to its 90% sativa genetics. It gives you a powerful, potent high that gives you a feeling of euphoria (and it lasts quite a long time, too).

The strain is compact but produces plenty of bushy buds with excellent resin production. And it grows within 10 to 12 weeks.

Here are some tips for growing the Critical Neville Haze Auto strain:

• Being such a vigorous grower with a high yield, switch your light cycle to 13/11 — an extra hour of sunlight will benefit the growth.
• You can even use low-stress training (LST) to further improve growth.
• For the best results, maintain average ideal growing temperatures for this strain.

5. CBD Auto Blackberry Kush: For a classic CBD Buzz

• Effect: Soothing, relaxing CBD buzz
• Flavor: Subtle, fruity, and earthy taste
• THC CBD concentration: 8.26%

Maybe THC isn't your thing entirely — you are looking for that CBD buzz. If so, you should choose the CBD Auto Blackberry Kush.

CBD Auto Blackberry Kush is an indica-dominant strain with a compact yet bushy structure, so you can grow it even in your bedroom. The strain rewards you with purple sticky buds with an intensely fruity, earthy aroma and flavor. 

It is also the only CBD-dominant strain on the list, with THC levels below 1%. So, you don't have to worry about any psychoactive effects. Instead, this strain will give you a gentle buzz that's often associated with CBD, making it perfect for medical users.

This compact but vigorous plant is also quite aesthetic — it has dark leaves and purple buds lined with a thick layer of trichomes. 

If you provide the right conditions and 20 hours of light, it grows a large central bloom with smaller flowers on the side. If you're experienced, you can train the plant using various techniques to ensure you get many colas rather than one main cola; however, you can let it be since it produces a good yield anyway. It grows from seed to harvest in 10 to 13 weeks and produces around 450 g/m2.

Here are some tips for growing CBD Auto Blackberry Kush:

• This strain requires no topping. Just let it grow naturally if you don't wish to train it. 
• If you are growing it in a small space, use a small pot of 1-4 liters
• This plant does not like rain, so it is best to grow it in your home

6. Lemon Juice Express Auto: For Outdoor Growth

Image Credit - Dirty_rich

• Effect: Gradual relaxation and mellow but euphoric high
• Flavor: Berries and cheese with a musty aftertaste and fruity aroma
• THC levels: 13%

Maybe you want to go the old-school way and grow your cannabis plant outdoors. In that case, nothing beats Lemon Juice Express Auto — a cross between Haze Auto and Jack Herer.

The strain is known for its super lemony flavor with piney undernotes — no wonder it's called the Lemon Juice Express. And it produces a classic indica-dominant high that's surprisingly stimulating, lucid, cerebral, and long-lasting. 

As a plant with dense, bushy buds, it grows best in climates with short summers. And it goes from germination to harvest within 9 to 10 weeks, and you can expect a yield of 30 to 80 grams per plant, which is quite good for an outdoor plant.

Here are some tips for growing Lemon Juice Express Auto:

• For the best growth, we recommend watering it frequently but lightly.
• Despite being an outdoor plant, you need to aerate the soil. Add coco coir in the soil in a 30% ratio.

7. Sour Diesel Auto: For an Energetic High

• Effect: High-energy psychedelic high
• Flavor: Diesel, herbal, earthy, and lemon flavors
• THC levels: 20%

Here comes the classic — Sour Diesel — in an autoflowering variant! It is known for its signature psychedelic high that's fast-acting and induces a dreamy state of mind. It's best for days when you feel lazy but need to get things done.

The dreamy high also has various medicinal benefits; it helps with pain, stress, and depressive episodes.

The flavor has the classic Sour Diesel taste with a diesel-ish aroma and earthy, herbal, and lemony undernotes. 

This strain is relatively easy to grow and goes from germination to bloom within 10 to 14 weeks. It rewards you with a yield of around 350 g/m2. And it is pretty suited for sunny climates, too, if you are planning to grow it outdoors.

Here are some tips for growing Sour Diesel Auto:

• The plant is prone to mold and mildew, so you must take good care of it by keeping humidity, temperature, and air circulation in check.
• To avoid the hassle of avoiding mold outdoors, we recommend growing it indoors — it's a lot easier.
• It experiences the best growth under high-intensity lights.

8. Blueberry Auto: Compact Size and High THC

• Effect: Stereotypical Indica head high
• Flavor: Blueberry muffin-like flavor
• THC levels: 22%

If you want to grow a cannabis plant in your bedroom, maybe you should look at Blueberry Auto. It is ideal for indoor growth because it is compact but with a high THC percentage. 

This Indica-dominant strain has a strong terpene profile, and the frosted buds offer a unique blueberry muffin taste. And what's more, the buds have the much-fancied purple, black, and blue hues we all like.

This strain offers a stereotypical head high associated with Indica strains, and it will leave you feeling relaxed and calm. Plus, it has anti-anxiety properties. 

Another highlight of this strain is that it's compact, making it ideal for smaller grow rooms (and bedrooms). You can grow this plant easily without a lot of maintenance, and within 9 to 10 weeks, the plant will reach up to a meter of height and reward you with a yield of 400 to 500 g/m2.

Some tips for growing Blueberry Auto:

• The plant is not demanding, but it does need adequate light, nutrients, and ideal conditions to grow properly.
• Since this is an Indica-dominant strain, we recommend defoliating it slightly to encourage bud development in the lower tiers.
• You can also flush the plant in the last weeks of bloom to enhance the aroma and colors.

10. Auto Duck: Best Outdoor Autoflowering Strain

• Effect: Subtle energetic and euphoric high 
• Flavor: Earthy, fruity, and floral note with citrus and mint undernotes
• THC levels: 8%

Autoflowering strains are robust, but some are more so than others. If you are looking for a plant that can withstand the weather like an old ship, you can try out Auto Duck.

Auto Duck offers a subtle flavor and smells with floral, fruity, and earthy top notes and citrusy and minty undernotes. And it has a complex terpene profile, too. 

And since the THC is only 8%, it gives you a balanced, euphoric, and energetic high which lasts for a few hours.

A unique feature of this strain is its camouflaged appearance and smell — the leaves do not look like the infamous fan leaves, and the smell is weak, so it's harder to spot for regular people. Best if you want to grow cannabis outdoors without anyone knowing.

The strain is ideal for novice growers as it is super easy to grow and maintain even in an outdoor environment. It takes 11 to 12 weeks to bloom well, growing up to 0.75 meters, and it gives a yield of 450 g/m2.

Here are some tips on growing Auto Duck:

• You can make it even more compact by training it with LST or super cropping
• While the smell is weak, people can still recognize it if they pay attention, especially during the flowering stage

11. Quick One Auto: For the Need for Speed

• Effect: Gentle mind and body relaxing high
• Flavor: Fruity, citrusy, and earthy
• THC levels: 13%

The Quick One Auto strain, as the name suggests, is a fast-growing cannabis strain. It grows from seed to harvest in as little as eight weeks, which is ideal if you don't want to wait too long to smoke the good stuff.

Apart from satisfying your need for speed, this strain offers a pleasant high. The subtle, gentle high relaxes your mind and body, and it's light enough to be perfect for those with low tolerance. 

The strain also grows highly resinous buds full of terpenes. So, it smells and tastes great with a fruity, citrusy, and earthy flavor.

If you are growing this plant outdoors, expect a yield of 150 g/m2 and in your bedroom, expect a yield of 325 g/m2. 

The plant also grows relatively small, reaching 19 to 24 inches indoors and 23 to 40 inches outdoors. This small size makes it an excellent candidate for guerilla cultivation.

Apart from that, this plant has excellent resistance to mold, pests, and bad weather, and it is pretty forgiving for beginners. So, you don't need any special tips to grow this strain.

12. White Widow Auto: Resin Production

Image credit - FrankieBones

• Effect: Euphoric, happy, and talkative high
• Flavor: Earthy and woody flavor with a pungent smell
• THC levels: 20%

White Widow Auto is the best overall strain if you are looking for the right balance of everything while growing autoflowering cannabis. It has the signature White Widow flavor that's woody and earthy with a pungent smell.

For decades, White Widow has been known for its unique, sensational high that induces euphoria, making you happy and talkative. And the high also has some medicinal benefits; it helps you with anxiety, pain, and stress.

The plant grows with crystal white buds — hence the name White Widow — and it is super easy and quick to grow. It doesn't grow very tall and goes from a seedling to harvest-ready within 8 to 9 weeks.

This strain can also grow in every climate, from sunny and humid climates to colder climates. And it is also quite resistant to diseases and pests.

With this plant, you can expect a yield of 4 ounces per 3 sq. ft.

Here are some tips for growing White Widow Auto:

• While it can grow outdoors, we recommend growing it indoors in a controlled environment to maximize the yield and quality.
• Take extra care of the plant during bloom to ensure you get the best yield.

Tips on Choosing the Best Strains

Autoflowering strains are somewhat controversial in the growing community, but there's nothing better for beginners. So, choose the right autoflowering strain and start growing your first cannabis plant. 

However, growing an autoflowering strain can be a bit confusing for first-timers. So, here are a few tips to help you make that decision:

• Bloom Period Length

Autoflowering plants, due to genetics, tend to bloom earlier than their regular counterparts. Know when your strain will start blooming, so you are prepared for it.

Generally, the bloom cycle arrives between 8 to 10 weeks of growth, but some strains bloom earlier and others later. A reputable seed bank will provide you with this information.

• THC Concentration

You don't want to waste your time growing a plant that's too mellow or too potent. Instead, refer to the seed bank's buyer's guide to know exactly how much THC a particular strain has. 

If the THC levels are over 22%, the strain is quite potent and will get you baked. Under 16% THC strains tend to be more mellow and subtle. Choose the one that suits your expectations.

• Taste and Flavor

Similarly, a reputable seed bank would also list the strain's flavor profile on the website. Don't forget to refer to that. Autoflowering strains vary by taste, and you don't want to choose something that does not satisfy your taste buds. 

• Yield

Autoflowering strains' yields vary greatly, and they are harder to manipulate than regular cannabis plants. So, choose the strain that offers enough yield for your goals. 

• Seller's Reputation

Always order your seeds from reputable seed banks as they tend to sell high-quality seeds that are sure to grow and meet your expectations. 

A dodgy seed bank may sell you incorrect strains that may not sprout or grow into an entirely different plant than you expected. That's both a waste of money and time — and it's a major bummer.

Summary: Underrated Autoflowering Strains 

These are some of the best autoflowering strains, and one of them is the right choice for you. Find out which one it is and grow your first autoflowering cannabis in your home. 

Remember, anyone can grow these autoflowering strains, even if you have no experience. So, don't let anything stop you.

Figure out what kind of plant, high, or flavor you are looking for and pick accordingly. Happy growing!