Banana Hammock is rare, bred by Ethos Genetics of Colorado to have a tropical fruit, honey-smacked sweetness. Its parents are Grape God and Mandarin Sunset and its moniker is a reference to the way a man looks in a tight bathing suit. We don’t know who came up with the idea of giving you mental beach trauma while you smoke your chosen bud, but Banana Hammock transcends its suggestive name. Its sweetness and its ability to wipe out chronic stress may make it your new West Coast favorite.

The strain grows well indoors and outdoors, though experienced growers recommend using nutrients sparingly. Banana Hammock, unlike some other strains, doesn’t favor well in extremes. In other words, don’t overwater it or let its habitat get too humid (unless you’re a fan of fungus). The plant doesn’t grow hugely in cramped spaces so expect far lower yields inside. Either way, Banana Hammock is dark green and purple with white, snowy trichomes and bright amber hairs. Its buds are shaped like long peppers. It flowers in 8 to 9 weeks.

The plant’s aroma is unique, almost sickly-sweet, like the smell of fresh honey mixed with tropical fruits. There’s an after-aroma that hints of sweet lime and fresh earth. This is due to Myrcene running wild through Banana Hammock’s terpene profile. Myrcene is well-known as the medical marijuana jackpot for its ability to reduce stress and anxiety and help users sleep.

Myrcene is the element that makes Banana Hammock a perfect kick-back strain. As a nightcap before heading off to sleep, Banana Hammock provides users with a comforting presence that can calm racing thoughts, increase positivity, and bring a sense of euphoric balance to their mental energy. The physical calm is soothing and allows anxiety, stress, depression, mood swings, and insomnia to be put in its rightful place (which is anywhere but inside your head).

Banana Hammock used to test around 12% in terms of THC, but maybe Ethos did something about that because we’ve been seeing lab results for strain variations hitting the mid-20s in recent years. This gives the strain an even better ability to take experienced users and make them feel tingly and uplifted with sensations of fresh earth and tropical bliss.

If you like your strains honey-sweet, soothing, and fresh, Banana Hammock can deliver. Its balance of euphoria and relaxation makes it a great nightcap strain after a long work week, especially if you find yourself wishing for relief from negative thoughts and your sour mood. Killing sour with sweet will become your new strategy for taking the weekend in stride.