Jack Herer

Named for the activist who wrote the book on hemp — literally, it's called The Emperor Wears No Clothes — Jack Herer is the thinking person's morning plant and has been since the nineties. Dutch-bred, California-beloved, and the answer aficionados give when asked what "clear-headed" is supposed to mean.

It smells like a walk you were glad you took: pine, black pepper, something green and resinous underneath. The character is lucid forward motion — focus with the anxiety filed off, the strain equivalent of a tidy desk. People finish things on Jack. Sometimes the things even needed finishing.

The grow is agreeable middle ground: medium height, medium schedule, content in a bright window or a sunny bed, with a slight stretch that responds beautifully to a little training.

Wants: morning light and a to-do list. Forgives: most things except being kept in the dark.