For a curious cannabis enthusiast, a backyard garden is a highly rewarding summer pastime that provides gifts not only of homegrown herb, but insight into the underlying mechanics that govern both cannabis and the natural world.
If this sounds like something you want to experience and you live in Oregon, you’re in luck—you too can grow cannabis in your backyard or in a small indoor setup. (Just keep in mind that the outdoor season for cannabis begins in spring!)
The rules are pretty straightforward: Four plants per adult household and no plants visible from a public throughway.
Ready to go shopping? So are we!
Archive Portland — Portland
Average price: $30-60 per clone
Archive Seed Bank holds one of the world’s largest collections of cannabis genetics in both living and seed form, and their retail outpost on the outskirts of Portland’s Montavilla neighborhood is a destination for fans of the renowned breeding operation as well as recreational buyers in the market for clones.
Check Out Archive’s Menu
These aren’t your average cuttings. For several decades, the masterminds behind Archive scoured the globe in search of exemplary cannabis, going direct to fellow breeders to collect and preserve cuts and seeds that span landrace to hype strain. Archive’s preservationist intentions extend to some world-class breeding projects, making sought-after genetics available to the general public in seed form—including their dispensary-famous Do-Si-Dos and connoisseur favorite, RudeBoi OG.
Though Archive’s clone selection is usually limited to a handful of choices du jour, they fulfill custom orders for dispensaries across the state, which means if you’re looking for something specific, there’s a chance you can find an Archive-verified cut at another local shop (searchable with Leafly’s dispensary database).
Kind Heart Collective — Portland
Average price: $24-60 per clone
Kind Heart Collective in North Portland’s Kenton neighborhood has for years proven itself a consistent resource for quality living cannabis genetics. In years past, Kind Heart grew all the clones they sold in-house, but nowadays they work with third-party suppliers like Archive and Babylon Gardens.
Check Out Kind Heart Collective’s Menu
When I recently checked in on Kind Heart, they had in stock upwards of 20 varietals, including classics like the Forum Cookies and Cindy 99 as well as more recent phenomenons like the Black Cherry Soda, Purple Punch, and GG4—all rooted, putting out new growth, and ready for your garden.
I’ve personally ran clones from Kind Heart a few times and have had great luck—never experiencing any of the issues that are common to cuttings (powdery mildew, spider mites, or any of the numerous pathogens that are more difficult to identify). If you’re looking for a wide selection of living genetics, Kind Heart is a good bet.
Maritime Cafe — Gladstone
Average price: $15 and up per clone
There’s no two ways about it: Archive is an invaluable resource and Oregon is lucky to have them. That said, their walk-in clone selection on any given day can be limited to a few strains, and options are nice. Enter the competition. While Oregon has no shortage of noteworthy nurseries, Elysian Craft Cannabis runs a wholesale shop that’s built one of the more interesting clone menus on the Oregon scene.
Check out Maritime Cafe’s Menu
This menu is composed of less common classics like White Rhino and Chocolate Afghani, as well as virtual unknowns like Loompa Goo and Obsession, heirloom varietals such as Laughing Buddha and Ketama, and new-school sleepers including Dosi Pie, Purple Terps, and White Grapefruit.
You can find their stable over at the Maritime Cafe in Gladstone, and cuts retail starting at a very reasonable $15 per plant.
The New Amsterdam— Portland
Average price: $20 per clone
Like Elysian, Next Gen Nurseries is a wholesale plant provider that’s in the business of stocking dispensaries with living genetics. Also sold under the name Heart of the Valley, Next Gen offers a wide selection of cannabis clones that retail for a fair price—usually about $20 per plant.
While you can find Next Gen’s Heart of the Valley releases in upwards of a dozen shops across Portland and areas beyond, The New Amsterdam keeps roughly twenty different cultivars in stock, with a selection that waxes and wanes from one day to the next.
Check Out The New Amsterdam’s Menu
Their menu is populated by some beloved clone-only strains like Cherry Pie, as well as dispensary staples Blue Dream, Obama Kush, and Trainwreck, plus some new-school creations such as Nightmare Cookies, Sherbet, and something called Donkey Budder.
