# Hermaphrodite

> In cannabis growing, a plant (usually female) that develops both pistillate and staminate flowers or anthers; botanists call it intersex or monoecious expression.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/hermaphrodite.html
- Also written: hermie, herm, hermaphroditic, intersex, intersex plant, hermaphroditism
- Glossary category: Plant biology · Evidence: Supported
- 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"

A hermaphrodite, in cannabis growing, is a plant expressing both sexes, usually a female that produces [male flowers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/staminate-flower.md) or exposed [anthers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/anther.md) among its buds. Botanists prefer "intersex" or "monoecious expression", because cannabis flowers are normally single-sexed. The self-pollen these plants shed is fertile, so they can seed themselves and everything nearby.

## In practice

Look from mid-flower onward for male flower clusters at nodes, or single yellow-green anthers protruding from buds. Check again in late flower. Act on what you find:
- Remove the plant, or at least the affected parts, before anthers open.
- Never use it as a parent.
- Note the cultivar and source; a pattern across seeds from one source is a genetics problem.

GenetixBay standard: zero herms in a 10-plant screening grow for [Bay Lines](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/bay-lines.md), [Seed Club](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/seed-club.md) and featuring; "[Verified under 2% herm rate](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/herm-threshold.md)" (the founder's threshold) only after about 150 or more pooled community-grown plants. See [herm threshold](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/herm-threshold.md).

## Don't confuse with

- **Monoecious hemp**: a deliberately bred, stable trait in some [hemp cultivars](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/hemp.md).
- **Foxtailing**: spires of new [pistillate flowers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/pistillate-flower.md), not male.
- **Male plant**: an XY plant with only staminate flowers.

## Myth check

"[Late-flower bananas](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/nanners.md) are normal" is wrong. House position: intersex expression is mainly breeder error (repeated selfing, careless feminising, unstable releases), not a natural cannabis trait. Stress reveals susceptible genetics rather than causing healthy ones to switch. 5-10% herms in a commercial operation means poor genetics (Punja & Holmes 2020 observed it; GenetixBay interprets it this way). See [hermaphrodites](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/diagnosis/hermaphrodites.md).

## Related terms

[Dioecious](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/dioecious.md), [Monoecious](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/monoecious.md), [Anther](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/anther.md), [Staminate flower](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/staminate-flower.md), [S1](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/s1.md)

## Read more

- [Hermaphrodite cannabis (bananas and nanners): what to do](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/diagnosis/hermaphrodites.md)
- [Male, female and hermaphrodite cannabis: how sex works](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/sex-male-female-hermaphrodite.md)

## Sources

1. Punja ZK, Holmes JE. 2020. Hermaphroditism in marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.) inflorescences: impact on floral morphology, seed formation, progeny sex ratios, and genetic variation. Frontiers in Plant Science 11:718. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00718
2. Faux AM, Berhin A, Dauguet N, Bertin P. 2014. Sex chromosomes and quantitative sex expression in monoecious hemp (Cannabis sativa L.). Euphytica 196(2):183-197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-013-1023-y