Plants that look Like marijuana are a big number, however, they aren’t cannabis. Marijuana, also known as cannabis and even the devil’s lettuce, has a distinctive yet ordinary appearance, making it hard to spot.
There are so many plants that look like marijuana, and, commonly, people do get them mixed up. This article will discuss the many plants that look like marijuana here. Keep reading to find out which plants resemble marijuana the most.
Contents
List of Plants That Look Like Marijuana
1. Sunn Hemp
This plant is also called the Crotalaria Juncea, and it has tall stems, bushy leaves, and occasionally leaflet edges with serrations. It also contains buds that resemble cannabis buds. The plant stem has a grooved, almost rectangular shape, and the leaves are farther apart.
This plant, also known as madras hemp or Indian hemp, is a plant that is indigenous to India and is frequently used as a fiber in the textile industry. Additionally, it is increasingly being utilized as a biofuel.
2. Okra
We are all familiar with this prominent vegetable in Asian and Indian cooking. But did you know that people frequently mistake it for cannabis?
If you took an overhead photograph of an okra garden, you’d assume your garden bed resembled a bed of marijuana plants.
This is due to the startling similarity between okra and cannabis buds. Okra leaves are larger, rounder, and toothless, so be careful around them. Weed leaves have pointed, thin margins that are very ragged.
3. Japanese Hop
Japanese hop is not just similar to cannabis in appearance, but the two species are also related. These are members of the same family as ordinary hops, hackberries, and other plants.
This plant is native to China, Korea, and Vietnam, despite what its name might imply. After arriving in North America, it spread rapidly and was classified as an invasive species.
The Humulus Japonics generate leaves that resemble cannabis plant leaves quite a bit. The seven leaflets themselves are significantly wider than those of cannabis, although having serrated edges.
The plant’s growth pattern is also very different from that of cannabis. Instead of growing a separate main stem, it spreads out as a climbing vine that engulfs neighboring plants and trellises.
This plant, like cannabis, produces flowers with trichomes that release delightful-smelling terpenes. If you decide to produce Japanese hops, they will reach a length of 32 foor in just one growing season.
If done properly, you may create a living wall out of your cannabis plants by weaving a trellis of Japanese hops between them. But nurture the rhizomes in pots to prevent them from taking over your yard. They need somewhat six to eight hours every day of bright sunshine, rich soil, and good drainage to flourish.
4. Scarlet Rosemallow (Hibiscus Coccineus)
The scarlet rosemallow, popular as “Texas Star” or “scarlet hibiscus,” is an excellent first example. This resilient plant, a member of the Malvaceae family, is found in swamps, marshes, and ditches throughout the coastal plain located in the Southeastern parts of the United States.
The Hibiscus Coccineus reaches great heights of 70 to 94 inches, much bigger than small indica and auto-flowering species but not so big as to be mistaken for towering Sativa varieties.
Scarlet rosemallow and cannabis have some aesthetic similarities. However, the two plants have some significant visual differences that make it simple for experienced gardeners to distinguish between them.
First, compared to hibiscus rosemallow leaves, most cannabis leaves have seven to nine leaflets (three large and two small). Plus, some specific variants have extremely thin, delicate leaves that bear little resemblance to cannabis, while others have bright red stems that are a dead giveaway.
5. Chinese Chaste Tree
The Lamiaceae plant that resembles cannabis has the potential to steal the show. Talk about being identical! Again, the leaves of the Vitex Negundo are what resemble each other the most. Each of the five leaflets on this little tree, which has just one branch, has serrated edges that almost blend into the cannabis plant.
Depending on its surroundings, this species may reach six all the way to 26 feet. Its native habitats include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, and India.
Your trees require a protected area away from strong winds to grow to their maximum potential. In addition to using young trees as a covert background for your weed plants, it’s important to note that Southeast Asia has traditionally used the tree’s roots, fruits, blossoms, and leaves for many holistic purposes.
6. Japanese Maple Tree
This maple tree is most likely already a part of your neighborhood. This plant is frequently shown in front yard displays, and many gardeners use trimming techniques to create stunning bonsai-like trees. If you have spotted this tree in your area, you likely had to check again or rub your eyes to be sure you hadn’t accidentally discovered a cannabis plant.
Its origin was in eastern Mongolia, southeast Russia, China, Japan, Korea, and Korea, and scientifically it is called Acer Palmatum. Following its domestication, people created a wide range of distinct cultivars with various leaf sizes, shapes, and colors.
When fully grown, most of these kinds reach heights of 19 to 32 inches and widths of 16 to 32 inches. The foliage of the leaves varies from dark green to dark crimson, depending on the type. Nevertheless, the shape almost always looks very similar to cannabis. The leaves have seven tiny leaflets.
The species does, however, grow a strong, woody stem that sets it apart from the cannabis crop. However, the relatively thin branches that several plants retain when grown in tiny pots can conceal your valued plants. Aim to grow your Japanese maple trees in a sunny, wind-protected area if you want to grow this plant.
This tree prefers loose, well-draining soil with an acidic to neutral pH of 4.5-7 because it developed in hilly areas.
7. Coralbush
This stunning plant has an exotic appearance to match its name. The plant is one of the members of the Euphorbiaceae family, which means that it is native to Mexico and the Caribbean but is now found in gardens from Southeast Asia to Africa. Once you see this plant, it becomes clear why it traveled such a distance.
Despite being considered a tree, coral bush doesn’t get very big. Its broad fan leaves resemble those produced by traditional indica cultivars, and the fact that there are nine leaflets adds to the illusion.
This plant also develops the height and circumference of a bushy indica variety when grown in an average-sized pot, making it the almost identical twin of the weed plant of marijuana.
8. Spider Flower
Whether you want to conceal the already thriving marijuana plant in your garden or you want to increase the biodiversity of your houseplants, you can’t go wrong with Cleome Spinosa.
This plant looks just like cannabis in the early stages of vegetative growth. It has thin branches, seven leaflets, and a dark green color. You can simply mix in a few cannabis plants for optimum subtlety if you time your actions well. What is the way to tell these two apart? While the leaflets of Cleome Spinosa are smooth and rounded, marijuana leaves have serrated edges.
Granted, as this plant develops from the vegetative stage into the blossoming stage, it gradually takes on a completely new appearance. It grows a big, thick main stem with a few projecting leaves here and there, but it doesn’t have the dense canopy of the typical cannabis plant. It blooms gorgeous in a variety of colors like pink-red, purple, or white little flower on the very top of the plant.
Nonetheless, this annual species reaches a maximum height of five feet and spreads no more than 20 inches horizontally.
You must keep in mind that this plant needs well-draining soil and a south-facing or west-facing position. However, they don’t fuss over pH and will happily grow in acidic, alkaline, or neutral soil.
9. Cassava
You might think this comparison is a stretch if you’re well-versed in cannabis and its appearance. But to the uninitiated, cassava leaves resemble the well-known leaf people see on television and in newspapers. Along with coral bush, this woody shrub originates from South America and is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family.
Cassava has seven leaflets, like the other plants on this list, but unlike others, it is simpler to differentiate from cannabis because of its distinct white veins and waxy look.
Sure, cassava, or Manihot Esculenta, can help disguise tiny to medium-sized cannabis plants, but this plant’s roots hold the real power. Even though cassava is a perennial plant, many farmers choose to grow it as an annual and collect the huge tubers at the end of the growing season.
These subterranean parts heat up to resemble potatoes and are packed with carbs. In order to benefit from this crop’s riches, you must live in a tropical environment.
Cassava plants have their highest yields when cultivated in full light and in soil that drains properly. Put down a thick layer of organic matter as a mulch at the beginning of the season to feed the soil around these growing plants.
10. Southern Marigold
While southern marigold doesn’t precisely resemble cannabis up close, from a distance, you may mistake this Asteraceae family member for a slight Sativa strain.
This half-hardy annual, also known as wild marigold and black mint, is indigenous to the southern region of South America. However, once the Spanish arrived in the area, the plant spread worldwide, from North America and Europe to Africa.
The plant is known as Wacatay or Huacatay in the Andes, and even as Tagetes Minuta. You may usually find southern marigolds as a bottled paste at the grocery stores in this region because it was traditionally used as a culinary herb.
The pointed leaves and long, slender stems give plants the appearance of untopped Sativa varieties from a distance. The leaves expose the difference when you get a bit closer; they are very visible.
At the same time, southern marigold leaflets appear to be little individual leaves attached to the stem; cannabis leaflets all sprout from a single leaf. The small white blooms of this species, which bloom beginning in October, are very unlike the bulbous buds of cannabis plants.
11. Kenaf
Kenaf, or Hibiscus Cannabinus, resembles marijuana quite well. Industrial hemp strains are tall, slim, and mostly stem, in contrast to cannabis strains developed for their flowers, which are bushy, compact, and packed with colas. Manufacturers then use durable fibers to make various products, including paper, rope, and bioplastics.
Kenaf and marijuana plants both have a similar appearance and similar use. This enormous plant, which is 11 feet tall and goes by the name Deccan hemp, is a member of the Malvaceae family. India, South Africa, and Thailand are just a few of the nations that cultivate kenaf for its fibres.
These fibres are then used to manufacture paper, clothing, insulation, animal bedding, and soilless potting mixtures. Kenaf seeds are used to create an edible oil full of beneficial omega-3 and omega-six fatty acids, similar to hemp seeds.
There are several morphological similarities between the marijuana plant and kenaf. They both have long, slender, woody stalks, for starters. Their leaves also resemble each other. Kenaf leaves have seven separate leaflets.
However, Kenaf leaves are thicker and rounder than cannabis leaves. The blooms of kenaf plants are also white, yellow, or purple poppies, unlike the colas of hemp.
12. Sweet Fern
This species belongs to the bayberry family rather than the fern genus and is scientifically known as Comptonia Peregrina. The leaves have a similar fragrance to marijuana and are heavily serrated. On the other hand, the leaves develop in bunches, and the plant has a bushier shape.
The aromatic plant sweet fern, frequently cultivated, has anti-mosquito properties. Additionally, it possesses anti-itching qualities. What you must remember is that cultivating it in the ground or pots in your backyard is simple would be ideal.
13. Mint
This plant is not as innocent as you may think. Mint’s young leaves resemble weed in shape and are serrated, pointed, and oval; it is occasionally mistaken for marijuana. Its flower buds resemble cannabis buds as well. Thanks to its bushy growth style and leafy branches, mint also frequently has a growth pattern resembling weeds.
Mints are hard to remove and stay rooted in the ground, which you need to understand. It also dislikes mingling with other plants more than weeds that could develop between different vegetation types.
Additionally, young mint plants have a more olive-green hue, have hairier stems and leaves, and bloom in the spring with pellet-shaped white flowers
Conclusion
Knowing about plants that look like marijuana is important. You never know when you could get marijuana mixed up with other plants. Plus, whether your state, country, or even religion prohibits the consumption of marijuana and you’re trying to avoid it, it’s better if you know what marijuana and its look-alikes look like.
Remember that each plant has its own requirements, although their similarity is their shape! We hope that by reading our list of plants that look like marijuana, you’re more careful and aware of what is growing in the garden.
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