An elite cut is a selected individual plant, kept only as clones, with a reputation that makes it highly sought after. Many classics, including some original Skunk-era selections, survive only this way.
In practice
Elite cuts move through small circles of trusted growers. Public accounts describe cuts changing hands for very large sums or only in trade for another elite, and holders often cannot share without consequences from the circle that gave it to them. The result is that some near-extinct classics depend on a handful of gardens, and a pest outbreak or a viroid infection can wipe out a lineage.
Don't confuse with
- Clone-only: any cultivar kept only as clones. Elite adds reputation and scarcity.
- Keeper: any selected plant; most keepers never become elite.
Myth check
GenetixBay position (the founder's view, Grower practice): elite clone-only gatekeeping is real, and part of why GenetixBay exists. Some holders hoard the best and control access to the gene pool. The answer is preservation in the open: GB-IDs, the Stud Book, rewards for preservation and sharing within legal lanes. "The original cut" stays an unverified claim until chain of custody or a DNA match backs it. See clone-only preservation.
