Super Skunk Strain: History, Flavor, and How to Grind It

Updated October 2026

Short answer: Super Skunk is an indica-dominant strain released by Sensi Seeds in 1990, crossing Skunk #1 with an Afghani hash plant. It won the Mostly Indica category at the Cannabis Cup soon after. Expect skunky, earthy, peppery aroma with a citrus-sweet edge, caryophyllene up front, and a relaxed, heavy-bodied buzz. It's resinous, so grind it with a coarse screen.

There's a reason "skunk" became slang for weed in half the English-speaking world. The Skunk family took over in the 1980s and 1990s, and Super Skunk was Sensi Seeds' move to make it heavier, faster and stickier. It worked. Thirty-plus years later, it's still a reference point for what "classic indica" smells like. It's also a resin bomb, which makes it a great test for whether your grinder actually cuts.

Where Super Skunk comes from

Amsterdam’s Sensi Seeds launched Super Skunk in 1990. Their Super Skunk page describes it as Skunk #1 crossed with an Afghan from the "hash plant" family, and says it won the Mostly Indica Cannabis Cup shortly after release.

The parent, Skunk #1, is usually described as a mix of Afghani, Acapulco Gold and Colombian Gold, developed in the US and stabilized by Dutch breeders in the 1980s. Super Skunk dialed the Afghani back up for denser buds, more resin and a quicker finish. Sensi lists it as roughly 80% indica.

Our old version of this post got the family tree backwards. It said Super Skunk was used to create Skunk #1 (Skunk #1 is its parent), and that Cheese, Lemon Skunk and Super Silver Haze "trace their lineage back to Super Skunk." We couldn't verify that, and in Skunk #1's case it's flatly wrong. Those claims are out.

Aroma, flavor and terpenes

Here's a fun one. Sensi describes Super Skunk as smoother and fruitier than you'd expect from the name, with earthy, spicy base notes from the Afghani side and a citrus sweetness that develops during the cure. Smokers on Leafly mostly say skunk, pungent and earthy, and a few pick up black licorice. Both are true. It depends on the cut and the cure.

• Caryophyllene (dominant per Leafly): pepper and spice.
• Limonene: the citrus lift.
• Humulene: earthy, woody, hoppy.

The smell is strong when you break it up. Grind it right before you use it and close the lid. More on how grinding affects flavor in our terpene guide.

Commonly reported effects

Super Skunk is an evening strain for most people. Reviewers usually describe:

• A heavy, relaxed body feel that builds over time.
• Sleepy, couch-friendly vibes later in the session.
• The munchies. Plan accordingly.
• A short, happy lift at the start. A few reviewers even call it more energizing than expected.

Leafly lists about 16% THC as an average, and modern cuts can run higher. Start small, especially if you have plans. Adults 21+ only.

What the bud looks and feels like

Sensi describes bright green, spiky buds with large, pointy calyxes on a sturdy, conical plant. In the jar, Super Skunk nugs are chunky and resinous, with a frosty coat and orange hairs. They're firm, and the Afghani resin makes them tacky to the touch. Handle a few and your fingers will smell like it the rest of the night.

How to grind Super Skunk

Hash-plant genetics mean resin, and resin is what clogs cheap grinders. Blunt pegs mash sticky buds into a paste that coats the teeth. Sharp, diametrically cut teeth slice through instead, and big trapezoidal drop-through holes let the flower fall before it gets overworked.

1. Prep: pull nugs into pea-sized pieces and drop the stems. Don't overload. Sticky buds compress and jam if you pack them.
2. Screen: this is a 400 micron coarse screen strain. The bigger openings let kief pass instead of letting resin bridge the mesh. The 300 standard works if your flower is drier. All three screens (180, 300, 400) come in the Upgrade Kit, and our screen system guide explains swapping them.
3. Turns: 6 to 10 short back-and-forth twists, then a few firm taps.
4. Gummed up? 10 to 15 minutes in the freezer makes resin brittle so you can tap it out.
5. Finer for a vape: flip the grinder upside down and add a few turns.

Best method: a bowl. Super Skunk's peppery, earthy flavor is classic pipe material, and a slightly coarser grind keeps it from pulling through. If you'd rather skip the screen entirely, a 2 piece keeps the flower in the teeth for a fluffy, even cut and has nothing to clog. Full coarse-vs-fine guide on the Grind Guide page.

PRO 2 Piece Medium — $39.99
No screen to gum up with Super Skunk resin, a fluffy grind that's perfect for bowls, and the same sharp teeth and threadless lock as our 4 pieces.
See it →

Prefer to save kief? The PRO 4 Piece Medium with a coarse screen handles sticky indicas well. Either way, the threadless lock means no threads for resin to seize, just a short twist of about a third of a turn.

Famous descendants and crosses

Super Skunk shows up in a few big family trees, though skunk genealogy is famously tangled:

• Lavender: the Soma Seeds strain, which Leafly lists as a Super Skunk descendant.
• Sour Diesel: one of the most repeated origin stories says Chemdawg was crossed with Super Skunk. It's disputed, and we cover the debate in our Sour Diesel strain guide.
• The wider Skunk family: Skunk genetics, often Skunk #1 rather than Super Skunk, sit behind strains like Super Silver Haze.

Growing notes (legal growers only)

Where home grow is legal, Super Skunk is known as an easy, fast plant. Sensi lists about 50 days of flowering, with sturdy, conical plants and average stretch. The catch is the smell. It's loud, so carbon filtration is not optional indoors. Plant limits vary by state; check current state and local law first. Our home grow guide covers harvest and cure.

FAQ

Is Super Skunk the same as Skunk #1?

No. Skunk #1 is the parent. Super Skunk crossed Skunk #1 with an Afghani hash plant for more indica body, density and resin.

Who created Super Skunk?

Sensi Seeds in the Netherlands, released in 1990.

Does Super Skunk smell strong?

Yes. Some cuts lean fruity and citrus after a good cure, but expect a loud skunk and earth aroma when you break it up.

What's the best way to grind Super Skunk?

Use sharp teeth, load lightly, and use a 400 micron coarse screen in a 4 piece, or a 2 piece with no screen at all.

Sticky, loud, classic. Super Skunk deserves a grinder that keeps up.

Keep reading

• The top 10 OG strains of all time
• Northern Lights: history, flavor and how to grind it
• White Widow: history, flavor and how to grind it