Mendocino Purps: The Mystery Strain Behind Purple Weed

This is the story of the mysterious purple legend from the hills of Mendocino, a plant with no famous creator and no clear family line that began as a few tiny relics forgotten in a drawer, came back to life as a lone survivor, won recognition in Amsterdam, shaped a whole generation of purple favorites, and still has people arguing over where it really came from. What's covered in this video: • How plants from the mountains of Afghanistan made their way to Mendocino and Humboldt • Why Todd McCormick says nobody made purple plants and that nature alone deserves the credit • What natural pigments called anthocyanins have to do with blueberries, grapes, and deep violet color • Why cool mountain nights help bring out the color but can never create it on their own • Why an expert known as Ghost says that if it is only a matter of temperature, then it is not purple • How a special purple plant appeared in the small town of Covelo in Round Valley • Why someone decided to tuck a few tiny relics of that plant away in a drawer • How an old Mendocino glassblower kept them hidden for decades • Why the purple line from Covelo slowly faded from the hills • How the glassblower passed them along as a thank you to a young newcomer • Why nobody has ever publicly named the glassblower • Why the story has only been passed down by word of mouth • How the long forgotten relics finally came back to life • Why only a lone female survived and became the mother of every true version • Why people at the time said nothing similar existed anywhere • Why the plant could only be kept alive as a living copy of that survivor • How it quietly spread through Mendocino, Humboldt, and the Bay Area among people who trusted each other • What it looked like, turning deeper and deeper violet as it ripened • What it smelled like, with buttery caramel and coffee over woodsy, floral pine • What it tasted like, smooth and rich with grape, berry, and an earthy finish • How the Bay Area fell in love with purple plants • Why Eric Rosen named it among the leaders of the original purple wave • How the photographer Jason King helped make it famous in his book • Why the color purple took over Bay Area music and culture • How it made its way to a Canadian company in Amsterdam • Why an unconfirmed story claims it was taken before its keeper was ready to share it • How it helped shape Grape Ape and its back to back wins in Seattle • How it finally became available to people far beyond Mendocino • How it earned recognition in Amsterdam and placed among the top favorites of the year • Why its podium finishes in Amsterdam are so often exaggerated • How the debate over Purple Urkle and Granddaddy Purple turned into a mystery that may never be solved • How Mendo Montage led to Mendo Breath and then to Peanut Butter Breath • Why changing tastes made purple plants fall out of favor • Why so many newer purple plants were described as watered down • How its keeper finally told the full story on a popular podcast • Why he was nicknamed the Forrest Gump of the scene • How Jaleel White, the actor behind Steve Urkel, launched a new line featuring a relative of this plant • How scientists discovered keracyanin, the main purple pigment in these plants • How researchers at the University of Wisconsin found the perfect temperatures for purple color • How another study found the genes that switch the purple color on • Why its longtime keeper says people either love it or hate it • What it looks, smells, and tastes like today, from caramel and coffee to violet and lavender • Why reviewers describe it as calm, easygoing, and cheerful • Why its aroma is so different from every other purple plant around • Why fans still call it a throwback to the old days • How Mendocino is still fighting for official place names to protect its reputation • Why Covelo Dos Rios, the birthplace of the legend, still has no official recognition • Why the hills of Mendocino are going darker every season Mentioned in this video: Mendocino, Humboldt, Covelo, Round Valley, Afghanistan, Todd McCormick, Ghost, Bay Area, Jason King, Grape Ape, Seattle, Amsterdam, Purple Urkle, Granddaddy Purple, Mendo Montage, Mendo Breath, Peanut Butter Breath, Eric Rosen, Matthew Riot, Jaleel White, Steve Urkel, University of Wisconsin, Covelo Dos Rios, Steve Amato From a few forgotten relics in a drawer to a legend that shaped an entire color, this is the story of the purple mystery from the hills of Mendocino and why nobody has ever been able to solve it.