Written by Ad OpsHistory and Breeding Context
Oreo King x Strawberry Banana x Tangie is a contemporary polyhybrid that sits at the intersection of dessert-forward genetics and classic citrus heritage. Bred by Crockett Family Farms, the project leverages the house’s deep familiarity with Tangie and its influence on terpene-driven cultivars. The result is an indica/sativa hybrid positioned to deliver both lush resin production and high-aroma, fruit-candy profiles.
Crockett Family Farms rose to prominence in the 2010s by popularizing Tangie and its progeny, setting a standard for orange-forward cultivars with elevated limonene. Folding Strawberry Banana into the equation adds a thick, creamy sweetness and indica-leaning resin density known from its Banana Kush x Bubble Gum roots. The Oreo King component, while less ubiquitous than the other parents, contributes dark cookie-like dessert notes, robust bag appeal, and potentially high THC expression.
The breeding strategy here follows a clear trend in modern cannabis: pairing award-proven citrus lines with candy and dessert genetics to amplify terpene complexity. Tangie frequently dominated competitions for its unmistakable orange peel bouquet; Strawberry Banana, in turn, earned a reputation for high test results and hash-quality resin. Oreo King, associated with cookie-like dessert strains, rounds out the triad for a layered flavor arc that runs from cream and cocoa to strawberry taffy and fresh tangerine zest.
CannaConnection’s sitemap, which highlights topics like Guerrilla growing and low-stress training alongside strawberry-leaning cultivars such as Strawberry Banana Auto and Strawberry Cough, mirrors the market’s enthusiasm for strawberry and citrus chemotypes. Within that landscape, this tri-cross fits a clear niche: a high-terp, high-resin plant designed for both connoisseur flower and solventless extraction. The cultivar’s versatility stems from combining recognized building blocks and a breeder with a reputation for tangerine-forward excellence.
Genetic Lineage and Heritage
The cultivar’s lineage is a three-way cross: Oreo King x Strawberry Banana x Tangie. Tangie, originally advanced by Crockett Family Farms, descends from California orange genetics and Skunk lineage, well-known for limonene-heavy profiles and energetic sativa-like effects. Strawberry Banana—commonly associated with DNA Genetics/Serious Seeds—brings Banana Kush and Bubble Gum genetics, which are frequently indica-leaning with thick, milky resin and a candied strawberry-banana flavor.
Oreo King represents the dessert-cookie axis of modern cannabis, often characterized by dark calyxes, dense structure, and confectionery notes. While the precise background of Oreo King can vary by breeder line, its phenotype expression typically leans toward cookie or cream-dessert aromatics with substantial resin coverage. In a polyhybrid context, that means enhanced bag appeal and a tendency toward robust trichome density.
Taken together, the cross expresses a balanced indica/sativa heritage with a strong terpene emphasis. Tangie contributes elevation, citrus clarity, and a long, lingering after-aroma; Strawberry Banana adds body, sweetness, and resin weight; and Oreo King infuses heavier dessert notes and potentially higher potency ceilings. The synergy is tailor-made for modern preferences: layered aromatics, dense frost, and a high potential for flavorful concentrates.
From a breeding standpoint, this is a purposeful stacking of dominant flavor alleles and resin traits. Tangie tends to dominate terpene expression in crosses, frequently pushing limonene and terpinolene forward. Strawberry Banana’s sweet esters and Oreo King’s confection profile anchor the base, balancing the bright citrus top notes with creamy, cookie-like undertones.
Morphology and Visual Appearance
Plants from Oreo King x Strawberry Banana x Tangie are expected to show medium height with strong lateral branching, typical of hybrids containing Skunk and Kush ancestry. Internode spacing tends to be moderate, allowing light to penetrate the canopy when trained. Expect a mix of spear-shaped and golf-ball colas, with calyx stacking that becomes pronounced by weeks 6–8 of bloom.
Bud structure leans dense and resinous, with trichome coverage that appears early and often. Strawberry Banana’s reputation for greasy resin glands frequently translates into milky, bulbous heads well-suited to mechanical separation. Under cooler night temperatures (59–64°F or 15–18°C) late in bloom, purple to near-black hues may emerge, particularly where the Oreo King side expresses anthocyanins.
Pistils often begin pale peach to tangerine and then darken to burnt orange as maturity approaches. Expect heavy sugar leaf frosting, with fan leaves retaining a hybrid morphology—some narrow-bladed sativa expressions from Tangie, and broader, darker fans from the Oreo King and Banana Kush side. Trimming can be moderately labor-intensive due to small sugar leaves embedded deep in the bract layers.
Overall bag appeal is high, combining a sparkling trichome shell with color contrasts and pronounced calyxes. Even in mid-flower, the plant’s aesthetic is striking, which is one reason growers prize similar parent lines for showcase jars and hash viewing. Harvested buds tend to photograph well, capturing the multi-tone greens, occasional purples, and vivid orange pistils.
Aroma and Scent Bouquet
The nose opens with a surge of fresh tangerine peel and sweet orange soda—classic Tangie hallmarks that are hard to miss. Immediately underneath, Strawberry Banana contributes a creamy, candy-shop note, like strawberry taffy dipped in banana custard. Oreo King adds a cocoa-cookie undertone, suggesting chocolate wafer crumbs and vanilla cream.
On grinding, the top notes intensify, with limonene-driven citrus joining a faint earthy-skunky base expected from Tangie’s Skunk roots. As the flower sits, a rounder sweetness emerges, and some phenotypes reveal a faint nutty or malted-milk accent. The result is a terpene bouquet that evolves in the jar—from bright and zesty to dessert-like and comforting.
In terms of aromatic intensity, expect medium-high volatility; the cultivar can be loud in small rooms, especially post-cure. The interplay of terpenes can yield a dynamic bouquet where citrus brightness cuts through even when the base is creamy and rich. For many, the standout feature is the fidelity of the orange note, which remains remarkably true from dry sniff to combustion.
Storage and curing significantly shape the final aromatic profile. A slow cure at 58–62% RH helps preserve delicate top notes, preventing ester flattening and terpene loss. Well-cured samples can retain a freshly peeled orange character for months, which is a hallmark of successful Tangie-dominant crosses.
Flavor and Palate
The first draw typically delivers candied orange and tangerine with a zesty, almost effervescent edge. On the exhale, a creamy wave arrives—strawberry-banana milkshake accented by vanilla wafer. Subtle cocoa-cookie notes can linger on the palate, especially in phenotypes where Oreo King is dominant.
Vaporization accentuates the fruit layers, pushing limonene and related citrus volatiles to the foreground. At lower temperatures (356–374°F or 180–190°C), the flavor skews brighter and more delicate; at higher temperatures (392–410°F or 200–210°C), the dessert and cookie tones become more pronounced. Smokers often report a long, sweet aftertaste reminiscent of orange creamsicle.
When processed into rosin or live resin, the cultivar’s layered flavor can become remarkably concentrated. Solventless preparations commonly emphasize the strawberry-banana cream while retaining a volatile orange top note. This makes the strain attractive for hash makers who value both aromatic clarity and depth.
Combustion quality is smooth when properly flushed and cured, with the inhale rarely harsh unless over-dried. Expect a medium-bodied smoke with a velvety mouthfeel, reflective of dense trichome coverage. The flavor arc holds consistently across a joint, with minimal degradation toward the final third in well-grown samples.
Cannabinoid Profile and Potency
Because this is a polyhybrid, cannabinoid output varies by phenotype, but parent data offer useful guideposts. Tangie commonly tests in the 15–22% THC range with low CBD (<1%), while Strawberry Banana has been reported in the 20–26% THC range with similarly low CBD. Oreo-like dessert cultivars can express very high THC potential in select cuts; top-shelf phenotypes in the broader dessert category occasionally exceed 25% THC under optimal conditions.
For Oreo King x Strawberry Banana x Tangie, a realistic expectation is a THC range of 18–26% across phenotypes, with most expressions clustering near 20–24%. CBD is likely trace to low (<1%), consistent with the parents’ profiles. Total cannabinoids often land in the 20–28% range, depending on cultivation parameters and curing.
The acid-to-neutral cannabinoid conversion during decarboxylation follows known kinetics; slow cure preserves THCA content, while heat or time increases THC proportion. Minor cannabinoids such as CBG may appear in the 0.2–1.0% range, but these values can vary substantially by seed lot and phenotype selection. In growing operations focused on resin, selecting phenotypes with higher minor cannabinoid expression may add entourage complexity even when THC is the focal point.
Potency is amplified when plants are grown under optimized light intensity and spectrum. Under indoor LED arrays targeting 700–900 µmol/m²/s in mid-flower and 900–1,100 µmol/m²/s late flower, plants commonly reach their upper potency potential, assuming adequate CO2 (800–1,200 ppm) and proper VPD. Inadequate environmental control can depress potency by several percentage points due to stress-induced metabolic tradeoffs.
Terpene Profile and Volatile Chemistry
Terpene expression is expected to be limonene-forward, thanks to Tangie’s dominance, with secondary contributions from myrcene, beta-caryophyllene, and possibly linalool and ocimene. In parent lines, limonene commonly ranges from 0.5–1.5% of dry weight, while myrcene frequently appears around 0.3–1.0%. Total terpene content in well-grown, slow-cured flower typically falls between 1.0–2.5% of dry weight, with exceptional specimens exceeding 3%.
Limonene drives the bright orange-peel aroma and contributes to perceived mood elevation. Beta-caryophyllene adds a peppery warmth and interacts with CB2 receptors, which some users associate with soothing body effects. Myrcene can add depth and a faintly herbal sweetness, while linalool, when present, contributes gentle floral notes and potential relaxation.
Phenotypes influenced more by Strawberry Banana may present increased esters and fruity volatiles, enhancing the strawberry taffy impression. Oreo King contributions may subtly enhance chocolate-vanilla tones through complex aldehydes and ketones that read as confectionary in combination with terpenes. The interplay of these compounds creates the layered bouquet that persists through grinding, combustion, and exhalation.
Terpene preservation benefits from drying at 60°F/60% RH for 10–14 days, followed by curing at 58–62% RH with periodic burping for 3–4 weeks. Exceeding 70°F during dry can volatilize monoterpenes and reduce perceived citrus intensity, lowering total terpene content by noticeable margins. Growers targeting extraction often harvest slightly earlier within the maturity window to capture peak monoterpene brightness.
Experiential Effects and Use Cases
Users commonly describe an initial euphoric lift with clear-headed focus, reflecting Tangie’s influence, followed by a body-soothing wave attributable to Strawberry Banana and Oreo King. Early effects tend to be mood-brightening and sociable, suitable for daytime creativity or relaxed conversation. As the session progresses, a heavier calm can set in, easing tension without necessarily inducing couchlock in moderate doses.
At higher doses, the indica-leaning side may become more pronounced, ushering in deep relaxation and a soft, stony melt. This dual nature makes the cultivar versatile across time-of-day, depending on individual tolerance and consumption quantity. The bright citrus top note often translates subjectively to a “clean” or “clear” cerebral onset even when the body is fully relaxed.
Some consumers report enhanced sensory appreciation—music, flavor, and color seem more vivid—while anxiety remains tempered by the creamy, soothing base. Social and creative activities can benefit from the initial headspace, but those sensitive to limonene-dominant sativa traits should titrate slowly. Vaporization at lower temps can emphasize the uplifting segment of the effect curve.
Duration generally ranges 2–3 hours for inhalation, with the most stimulating phase peaking in the first hour. Edible conversions using this cultivar typically lean heavier due to 11-hydroxy-THC metabolism, so dose conservatively. Pairing with calming environments and hydration supports a balanced, enjoyable experience.
Potential Medical Applications
Based on its cannabinoid and terpene tendencies, Oreo King x Strawberry Banana x Tangie may offer utility for mood elevation and stress modulation. Limonene has been studied for potential anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects in preclinical models, while beta-caryophyllene’s CB2 affinity suggests potential anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. The cultivar’s balanced profile may support daytime function in low doses and evening relaxation in moderate doses.
Patients report using similar parent lines for symptoms associated with stress, low mood, and mild pain. The soothing body component may aid tension-type headaches or musculoskeletal discomfort, with the citrus-driven clarity helping to avoid sedation. Individuals sensitive to anxiety from high-THC sativa-leaning cultivars might find the dessert backbone here provides a stabilizing counterweight.
Sleep support is plausible in higher doses, especially when myrcene expression is pronounced, though this is phenotype-dependent. For appetite stimulation, the sweet, dessert-oriented flavor can encourage intake, which some patients find helpful during recovery or treatment-related appetite loss. As always, outcomes vary, and medical use should be discussed with a qualified clinician.
Because CBD is likely to be minimal, those seeking strong anti-anxiety effects without intoxication may consider pairing this cultivar with CBD flower or extracts in a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio. Such combinations can modulate THC’s psychoactivity and broaden the therapeutic window. Careful titration—starting low, going slow—is advisable to find the most effective personal dose.
Comprehensive Cultivation Guide
This hybrid responds well to modern indoor environments and dialed outdoor microclimates. Expect a flowering time of about 9–10 weeks indoors, reflecting Tangie’s typical 9–10 weeks and Strawberry Banana’s ~9 weeks. Outdoors, target harvest in early to mid-October in temperate zones, ensuring minimal late-season moisture pressure.
Vegetative growth is medium-vigorous with good lateral branching, taking nicely to low-stress training (LST) and screen-of-green (ScrOG). CannaConnection’s sitemap underscores the popularity of LST and guerrilla growing guides, both relevant here: LST increases canopy uniformity, and guerrilla tips apply to stealth outdoor runs. Top once at the 5th node, then guide laterals to fill a 2x2 or 3x3 ft footprint per plant for even colas.
Environmental targets indoors are straightforward. In veg, run 75–80°F (24–27°C) with 60–70% RH and VPD around 0.9–1.2 kPa. In flower, shift to 72–78°F (22–26°C) with 50–60% RH early and 45–50% RH late, targeting VPD around 1.2–1.5 kPa; brief night drops to 64–68°F (18–20°C) can enhance color and aroma.
Lighting intensity should scale from 400–600 µmol/m²/s in early bloom to 900–1,100 µmol/m²/s in late bloom, as tolerated. Supplementing CO2 to 800–1,200 ppm can increase biomass and potency when intensity exceeds ~800 µmol/m²/s. Keep canopies level to prevent tops from exceeding your light’s optimal distance and causing photobleaching.
Nutrient programs can follow a balanced hybrid strategy. In coco, aim for an EC of 1.3–1.6 in veg and 1.7–2.0 in mid to late flower; in soil, feed to light runoff and watch for tip burn. Calcium and magnesium support is often beneficial under LEDs; consider 0.3–0.5 EC of Ca/Mg during aggressive growth and early bloom.
Tangie influence means a strong appetite for potassium and sulfur as terpenes ramp, so ensure bloom boosters are balanced rather than nitrogen-heavy. Phosphorus demand rises through weeks 3–7; avoid overloading early, which can antagonize micronutrient uptake. Keep root zone pH at 5.7–6.2 for coco/hydro and 6.2–6.7 for soil to maximize nutrient availability.
Canopy management should prioritize airflow and light penetration. Defoliate lightly around weeks 3 and 6 of flower, removing large fans that shade productive bud sites while preserving enough leaf area for photosynthesis. A single-layer ScrOG or trellis net keeps colas spaced and reduces microclimate humidity pockets.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) benefits from a consistent routine. Preventative measures include weekly scouting, sticky cards, and rotating contact/biologicals like Beauveria bassiana and neem-derived products in veg. Beneficial mites (e.g., Amblyseius swirskii for thrips/whitefly, Phytoseiulus persimilis for mites) can be introduced as a prophylactic in environments with recurring pest pressure.
Water management is crucial to avoid botrytis in dense colas. Maintain strong oscillating airflow and 10–15 air exchanges per hour in sealed rooms; keep late-flower RH at or below 50%. Avoid wide day/night RH swings that can cause condensation within buds.
Yield expectations vary by phenotype and training. Indoors, 450–600 g/m² is a reasonable target under optimized LEDs, with top-tier growers pushing higher when CO2 and high PPFD are applied. Single plants in large containers, properly trained, can produce 100–200 g of dried flower per plant in small tents, with larger runs scaling accordingly.
Outdoor and greenhouse cultivation benefit from the cultivar’s vigor but require attention to late-season weather. In Mediterranean-like climates, plants can reach 6–8 ft with proper soil volume and topping, producing large, aromatic colas. For guerrilla growers—again reflecting the interest areas highlighted by resources like CannaConnection—choose elevated sites with morning sun, use camouflaged containers or native-plant companions, and ensure discrete water access.
Harvest timing should be based on trichome maturity rather than calendar alone. For balanced effects, aim for mostly cloudy trichomes with 5–10% amber; for a more relaxing profile, allow 15–25% amber. Monitor with a 60–100x loupe across multiple buds and plant zones.
Drying and curing practices directly affect the citrus-dessert character. Hang whole plants or large branches at 60°F/60% RH for 10–14 days to preserve monoterpenes; then cure in airtight containers at 58–62% RH, burping daily for the first week and then weekly for 4–6 weeks. Properly handled, the final flower retains high aromatic intensity and a smooth, creamy finish.
Extraction and processing are strong suits. Strawberry Banana lineage is famed among hash makers for excellent gland size and yield, and Tangie often contributes a loud terpene fraction prized in live products. Expect good returns in solventless ice water hash and rosin from select phenotypes, with the best washes showing stable, bright citrus-cream profiles.
Phenohunting tips: seek plants that maintain intense orange notes from early bloom through cure, while also displaying thick, greasy resin heads. Track resin maturity by observing head size and brittleness under cold-room conditions; the best wash phenos typically show large, mature heads that separate cleanly at 73–159 µm. In flower phenos, favor even bud density without excessive foxtailing and a terpene arc that evolves, not collapses, across a joint.
Finally, environmental consistency is key to unlocking the cultivar’s full expression. Keep VPD, watering cadence, and EC within tight tolerances week to week. With disciplined execution, growers can consistently produce top-tier flower that expresses the cross’s signature orange creamsicle-meets-cookie profile.
