You already know most of these. You’ve smelled them in your kitchen, your garden and the walk along the shore. Here’s how to recognise the eight terpenes that show up most on cannabis labels, plus where else you’ve met them.
Myrcene: the earthy one
Smells like: damp earth, musk, ripe fruit.
You’ve met it in: mangoes, hops, lemongrass, thyme.
The most common terpene in cannabis, and often the headliner. If a strain smells deep, earthy and a little sweet, myrcene is probably leading.
Limonene: the bright one
Smells like: lemon zest, orange peel.
You’ve met it in: every citrus fruit, juniper, peppermint.
Any strain with “lemon”, “tangie” or “orange” in the name is usually waving a limonene flag.
Beta-caryophyllene: the spicy one
Smells like: cracked black pepper, cloves.
You’ve met it in: the pepper grinder, cinnamon, oregano.
The odd one out: it can bind to one of the body’s cannabinoid receptors (CB2), which makes it a favourite of researchers.
Pinene: the forest one
Smells like: pine needles, fresh-cut evergreen.
You’ve met it in: pine trees, rosemary, basil, dill.
The most common terpene in the plant world. Comes in two forms, alpha and beta.
Linalool: the floral one
Smells like: lavender, sweet flowers.
You’ve met it in: lavender, coriander, birch.
Usually a supporting act, but when it’s there you’ll notice a soft, perfumed edge.
Humulene: the woody one
Smells like: hops, wood, dry herbs.
You’ve met it in: craft beer, sage, ginseng.
Often travels with caryophyllene. Together they give that spicy-woody depth.
Terpinolene: the wildcard
Smells like: fresh herbs, pine, a hint of apple or lilac.
You’ve met it in: apples, cumin, tea tree, lilac.
Rarely the main terpene, which is why strains rich in it stand out. Hard to describe, easy to remember.
Ocimene: the sweet herb
Smells like: sweet basil, mint, a little woody.
You’ve met it in: mint, parsley, orchids.
Try this: a spice-rack tasting
Before your next order, open your spice rack. Smell black pepper, rosemary, a lemon peel and some dried lavender. Now you’ve got caryophyllene, pinene, limonene and linalool locked in your nose. When you open a new jar, see which one it reminds you of. It’s surprisingly fun, and it makes picking your next strain much easier.
New to all this? Start with Terpenes 101.