Check out this field of Squirrel Tail and Tiger Tail in the Phu Phan Hills of Sakhon Nakhon Province, Northeastern Thailand!

🐿️ Squirrel Tail is exactly what you would expect from a tropical sativa: wild, unkempt, and bursting with character. Its towering plants produce thick, sprawling buds in every direction, with the signature bushiness that gives this phenotype its name.

🐅 Tiger Tail is a stunning contrast, sporting the classic 'menora' shape. These plants grow a majestic tall central cola flanked by long, swooping side branches close to the ground. The lower branches are dense, resinous —and, in some cases, they put down new roots where they touch the soil.

Many believe the Phu Phan Hills to be the original home of Squirrel Tail and Tiger Tail landraces. However, these phenotypes may simply represent expressions of a larger landrace genepool cultivated on both sides of the Mekong River by Lao/Isan-speaking communities.

The Phu Phan Hills have long been a place of refuge, their dense forests and rugged terrain providing shelter and safety. Over the years, the hills have hosted freedom fighters, bandits, guerrillas, and rebels of all kinds—from the Seri Thai resistance movement during World War II to the communist insurgencies of the Cold War era. They’ve also served as a sanctuary for growers, who thrived here thanks to the region's remoteness and ideal climate for cannabis cultivation with its cool, dry weather during harvest time.

The arrival of American forces during the Vietnam War, along with the first helicopter patrols over the region, disrupted much of the traditional cannabis cultivation in northeastern Thailand. Many cultivators were forced to abandon their fields, moving deeper into the jungle or giving up entirely. Not in the Phu Phan Hills.

This resilience, coupled with the abundance of cannabis in the Phu Phans during the prohibition era, may be why many claim that Squirrel Tail and Tiger Tail originate specifically from this region.While their true origins remain uncertain, the Phu Phans’ legendary reputation as a haven for cultivators and their role in safeguarding these unique expressions of the Lao/Isan landrace genepool cannot be understated!