Chances are if you haven’t already tried the Guava Cake strain yourself, you’ve at least heard someone sing its praises. It’s growing in popularity across the country as more people discover its fruity taste and its corresponding pleasant, stress-relieving high.

Whether you’re already a fan of Guava Cake, or if you’re brand new to the strain and want to see what all the fuss is about, here’s a closer look at everything you need to know:

What is the Guava Cake Strain?

While Guava Cake’s popularity is no mystery, the same can’t be said for its origins. Limited information about the strain’s heritage is available, leading to a few “off-brand” attempts that depart from the traditional flavors and effects.

The three most widely accepted versions of Guava Cake are the following:

• Wedding Cake crossed with Gold Leaf
• Wedding Cake crossed with Strawberry Kush and Durban Poison
• Guava crossed with OG Kush

The Wedding Cake/Gold Leaf cross is usually considered the most authentic version of Guava Cake. It’s a 70/30 Indica dominant hybrid strain.

Marijuana connoisseurs are likely quite familiar with Wedding Cake. An Indica hybrid that creates a relaxing, happy high, it’s available just about everywhere. But not so much with Gold Leaf, an Indica-dominant strain that delivers deep relaxation. The Wedding Cake/Gold Leaf blend is the hardest to obtain because you can’t grow it yourself.

While the Wedding Cake/Gold Leaf blend creates an Indica dominant strain, the Wedding Cake/Strawberry Kush/Durban Poison combination results in Sativa dominance. It produces a cerebral high with an infusion of productive energy.

Finally, the Guava and OG Kush blend is another Sativa-dominant strain. Both OG Kush and Guava, a phenotype of Gelato, are also commonly available from seed banks.

Growing Guava Cake

The Sativa-dominant (Wedding Cake/Strawberry Kush/Durban Poison) strain grows both indoors and out. When grown inside, plants reach about five feet tall with yields of 1.5 ounces per square foot of plant. Outdoors, each plant produces about 18 to 19 ounces.

The plant has a flowering period between 55 and 75 days. Allowing the plant to flower for more extended periods results in a more pronounced body high, while cutting the flowering time after shorter periods creates milkier, whiter trichomes.

The Wedding Cake/Gold Leaf strain is recognizable by its deep green buds that combine with accents of amber hairs and white trichomes (the source of resin and cannabinoids in the plant).

The Guava/OG Kush strain is identified by green, spade-shaped buds with orange and amber hairs. The trichomes are thickest with this strain, often obscuring the green color of the buds. Its flowering period typically lasts between 40 and 45 days.

Taste and Aroma

Guava Cake has a fascinating flavor and aroma profile that people appreciate. Regardless of which of the three strains you smoke, the taste and smell are remarkably consistent and memorable.

Guava Cake has a tropical flavor, often with strong notes of pineapple and mango. Interestingly, it isn’t particularly known for tasting like guava fruit. Perhaps the name references tropical fruit in a more general sense instead of specifically?

When exhaled, the aroma is earthy with hints of spices. The smoke that comes with it is generally light and airy.

THC Percentage and Effects

The Wedding Cake/Gold Leaf strain averages THC levels of around 28% and 30%. Additionally, its effects are typically felt in two stages:

• An initial energy boost that comes with enhanced creativity and a sense of giddiness
• A period of sedation, relaxation, and sleepiness following the boost

Most users feel both immediate and long-term stress relief. However, the initial energy boost can amplify anxiety, especially in high doses.

The Strawberry Kush and Durban Poison strain is generally considered similar in THC level and effects. However, because the genetics of this strain is unknown, the exact THC levels aren’t firmly established.

Guava/OG Kush has the lowest THC levels of the three strains at 21%. The effects are generally similar except for one notable exception. This strain doesn’t create sleepiness like the other two, making it the best option for daytime use.

Potential Downsides

Generally, Guava Cake users report three common side effects:

• Paranoia
• Dry Mouth
• Rapid Heart Beat

As with any strain, your specific reaction depends on many factors, such as your tolerance, emotional state, current environment, and more. Experienced users generally experience fewer side effects than those unfamiliar with the strain.

Medical Uses of Guava Cake

Guava Cake is commonly used to treat these medical ailments:

• Insomnia
• Depression
• Pain

Guava Cake is a popular insomnia treatment. While it provides an initial energy boost, it eventually shifts gears to make the user feel ready for a good night’s rest. If you’re using it for insomnia, try smoking or ingesting it in the later afternoon or early evening, so the sleep-inducing effects kick in around bedtime.

(Note that if you’re in search of insomnia treatment, try the Wedding Cake/Gold Leaf strain, as indica strains help create full-body relaxation.)

Guava Cake’s initial effects produce happiness and stress relief, making it useful to relieve depression. You’ll most likely want the Strawberry Kush and Durban Poison blend, as it has a longer-lasting energy boost and more “heady” high. While the Gold Leaf strain can help alleviate depression, you might end up feeling more sleepy than you want to.

Finally, Guava Cake is frequently used for relief from various body pain, from sore muscles to headaches and more. The Guava/OG Kush blend is the best option for all-day pain relief, as it mutes pain levels without the resulting sleepiness associated with the other two strains.