# Flavonoid

> Flavonoids are polyphenolic plant compounds, including flavones, flavonols and anthocyanins, that colour and protect plant tissue; cannabis contains common ones plus cannabis-specific cannflavins.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/flavonoid.html
- Also written: flavonoids, flavonols, flavones, plant flavonoids
- Glossary category: Cannabinoids and terpenes · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

Flavonoids are a large family of polyphenols built on a C6-C3-C6 skeleton. Plants use them as pigments, UV screens and defence compounds. In cannabis the main ones are flavones and flavonols (apigenin, luteolin, kaempferol, quercetin glycosides), the prenylated cannflavins, and [anthocyanins](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/anthocyanin.md), which give purple and red colour.

## In practice

Flavonoids sit mostly in leaves and [bracts](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/bract.md) rather than [trichome heads](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/trichome-heads.md), typically in the region of 1% of dry leaf weight or less. They are rarely tested on commercial COAs. Growers meet them as colour: purple bud is anthocyanin expression, set by genetics and brought out by cool temperatures.

## Don't confuse with

- **Terpenes**: aroma compounds; flavonoids add little aroma.
- **Anthocyanins**: one flavonoid subclass, responsible for purple.
- **Cannabinoids**: a separate class made in [trichomes](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/trichome.md).

## Myth check

House position: [bag appeal](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/bag-appeal.md) is not quality. Purple and frost don't mean potency, and [cold nights](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cold-nights.md) bring out colour in cultivars that carry it but have no proven effect on [terpenes](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene.md) or resin. See [Mythbusters](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/mythbusters.md).

## Related terms

[Cannflavin](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cannflavin.md), [Anthocyanin](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/anthocyanin.md), [Terpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene.md), [Cannabinoid](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cannabinoid.md)

## Read more

- [Cannabis plant biology: the parts and what they do](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/cannabis-plant-biology.md)

## Sources

1. Hanuš LO, Meyer SM, Muñoz E, Taglialatela-Scafati O, Appendino G. 2016. Phytocannabinoids: a unified critical inventory. Natural Product Reports 33(12):1357-1392.
2. Barrett ML, Gordon D, Evans FJ. 1985. Isolation from Cannabis sativa L. of cannflavin, a novel inhibitor of prostaglandin production. Biochemical Pharmacology 34(11):2019-2024.