by Nebula Haze
This article explores the cause of 3-point cannabis leaves (when each leaf has 3 “fingers”). 3-point leaves are typically the result of two things: genetics or a problem. There’s nothing to worry about when it happens due to genetics but problems like inconsistent light schedules or environmental factors can cause the plant to start growing 3-point leaves as a stress response.
Each of these cannabis leaves has 3 “fingers”. This is fewer than normal on an adult cannabis plant. Seeing 3-point leaves is typically a sign of a plant problem.
What causes a healthy adult cannabis plant to start growing 3-point leaves?
Note: In the plant world, it is known as heterophylly when a plant produces different leaf forms due to different environmental conditions. Hyterophylly is common in the plant world, including among cannabis plants!
3-point leaves are different from cannabis plants that have tri-leaf seedlings.
Three-point leaves due to heterophylly (from environmental conditions) are a little different from tri-leaf cannabis plants, which are the result of a mutation or natural variation. Some seedlings grow with three leaves per node from germination. This is a relatively common marijuana mutation. Some seedlings grow out of it, while others will grow this way from seed to harvest.
Example of a tri-leaf seedling. This is caused by a harmless (but cool-looking) mutation. Plants may grow like this from seed to harvest, or they may grow out of it.
Each of these leaves has a normal number of points for the age of this plant. The difference/mutation is that 3 leaves emerge from each node instead of the typical 2.
However, this article is about when each individual leaf has 3 points on an adult plant.
What do “normal” cannabis leaves look like?
Every cannabis strain is a little different, and some plants grow with more “points” on leaves than others. Most cannabis plants grow a few 3-point leaves as seedlings, but by the time a cannabis plant is mature, the leaves usually have more points.
The second set of leaves after germination usually has 3 points each. After that, leaves normally have more than three.
What is considered a “normal” number of points? Seven is the most common though it varies by strain. Seeing 5, 9, 11, or even 13 points isn’t that unusual. The most I’ve seen is 17 points on a single cannabis leaf (pictured below) Though typically an odd number, occasionally you’ll see leaves with an even number of points. Some plants may grow many leaves with an even number of points, often with the same pattern as each other. Your growing conditions affect this, too. Big, fast-growing plants in an ideal environment tend to grow leaves with more points.
Cannabis leaves most often have 7 points.
Yet there is a lot of variation between plants, and even on the same plant. This leaf that cannabis grower Michael sent has 17 points in total, though he explained that most leaves on the plant had 7, 9, or 11 points.
This cannabis leaf has 13 points if you count the two middle ones. Cannabis leaf variations are so cool.
But what if you had a plant with “normal” leaves that starts growing 3-finger leaves? What does that mean?
What causes 3-point cannabis leaves?
- Light stress – One of the most common culprits, especially if there is a significant change in grow light type or light levels
- Unusual photoperiods – Such as when grow lights turn on and off at a new time, or the plant’s lighting schedule is otherwise changed. Sometimes you’ll see 3-point leaves after switching to a 12/12 light schedule to initiate the flowering stage.
- Environmental stress – Extreme temperatures, stagnant air, underwatering, and other stresses can trigger the unhappy plant to grow 3-point leaves
- Re-vegetating – If a plant starts making buds in the flowering stage and then switches back to the vegetative stage, it can cause leaves to grow with 3 points. Learn more about re-vegging.
- Genetics – Some strains grow 3-point leaves due to genetics, such as any Ducksfoot strain. If plants are otherwise healthy and grow 3-point leaves from seed to harvest, you likely don’t need to worry.
It is a stress response when a healthy plant “reverts” back to 3-point leaves. Typically this happens when there are major changes in light quality or light schedule. For example, the following plants were switched from a fluorescent light to a powerful LED. A few days later, all the leaves were growing with only 3 points. In this case, there was nothing really “wrong” as much as different. The plants adjusted to the light and started growing regular leaves within a few weeks.
These plants started growing 3-point leaves after being switched from a weak fluorescent light to a strong LED.
Here’s a closeup:
A change in light schedule can also do it. Cannabis plants may grow 3-point leaves if you switch your grow light “on” period from the day to the night, or otherwise give irregular or uneven light schedules.
These plants are growing odd leaves due to re-vegging.
For outdoor cannabis growers, you can’t control what’s happening in the sky. These outdoor plants in Australia began to grow 3-point leaves after massive bush fires created smoke that blocked out the sun. The odd light periods caused the 3-point stress response.
Smoke blocked out the sun, triggering 3-point leaves in these outdoor plants
Some strains such as the Ducksfoot strain naturally grows 3-point leaves even under perfect conditions
A Ducksfoot cannabis plant grows 3-point leaves from seed to harvest
If your plant is growing 3-point leaves in response to stress, all you need to do is correct the issue and/or wait for plants to grow out of it.
But if you see 3-point leaves appear suddenly on a plant that was growing typical leaves, don’t ignore it! Try to determine what’s causing the change. Learn more about the number of “points” on cannabis leaves.
Did you enjoy this article? Check out more cannabis plant oddities!
