Strain Library · Balanced hybrid

Runtz Strain

Runtz is a balanced hybrid of Zkittlez x Gelato, with sweet fruit candy over a creamy Gelato base, and Leafly's Strain of the Year in 2020. Genetics, terpenes, aroma and the Runtz family.

  • Caryophyllene
  • Limonene
  • Myrcene
Runtz strain card: the name in glowing gold lettering on black, with its lineage, Zkittlez × Gelato.
  • LineageZkittlez x Gelato
  • BreederRuntz, with Cookies (credited)
  • AromaSweet fruit candy and tropical notes over a creamy, Gelato-style base

Not in our range yet · Similar profiles available as tea

Want Runtz in the range?

Request it and we'll count you in. We stock what people ask for, and if Runtz lands, you'll be the first to know.

Runtz is a balanced hybrid bred from Zkittlez and Gelato. It's known for sweet fruit candy over a creamy base, and Leafly named it Strain of the Year in 2020. It has since grown into a whole family, from White Runtz to Banana Runtz and Peach Mimosa Runtz.

Where Runtz came from

Runtz came out of California in the late 2010s, developed by the team behind the Runtz brand and closely tied to the Cookies family, whose Gelato is one of its parents.

It spread fast. Limited drops, distinctive packaging and a profile that tasted exactly like its name made it one of the most talked-about strains in the US, and by 2020 it was Leafly's Strain of the Year.

Named after a sweet. Tastes like one.

Runtz genetics and lineage

Runtz is Zkittlez x Gelato.

Zkittlez supplies the candy-sweet, tropical fruit top notes.

Gelato adds the creamy, dessert-like base and some spice underneath, which keeps Runtz from tasting one-note.

Is Runtz indica or sativa?

It's a balanced hybrid, sitting close to an even split between its indica-leaning and more mixed parents.

Worth knowing

Indica and sativa describe plant ancestry and structure more than anything you can predict about a product. The terpene profile tells you far more. More in Sativa, Indica, Hybrid: Do They Still Matter?

Runtz terpene profile

Reported profiles vary between growers and cuts, but these three come up most often:

LeadsCaryophyllenePeppery · warm · spicy

A warm spice underneath the sweetness, mostly from the Gelato side.

SupportsLimoneneCitrus · bright · sweet

The bright fruit and candy lift.

GroundsMyrceneEarthy · fruity · herbal

Body and a ripe-fruit roundness.

New to terpenes? Start with Terpenes: What They Are and Why They Matter.

What does Runtz smell like?

Sweet fruit candy first, tropical and slightly sour, like opening a bag of sweets. Behind it comes a creamy, Gelato-style base with a little spice.

It's one of the most sweet-forward profiles in modern genetics, which is exactly why breeders keep crossing it into new strains.

The Runtz family

Runtz has become a parent line in its own right. A few of the best known:

  • White Runtz: a frost-heavy Runtz phenotype, brighter and more citrus-led.
  • Banana Runtz: Banana OG x Runtz, bred by Solfire Gardens. Ripe banana over tropical candy.
  • Peach Runtz: Runtz x Peach Cubez, with stone fruit and candy. It's one half of our Peach Mimosa Runtz.
  • Pink Runtz and Purple Runtz: further phenotypes and crosses, named for their colour.

Runtz profiles at The Bud Works

We don't carry straight Runtz right now. These profiles from our range are part of the Runtz family:

Runtz family · diamonds & saucePeach Mimosa RuntzStone fruit, sweet candy and tropical notes, with sparkling citrus and orange rind from Mimosa. Runtz family · crumbleBanana RuntzRipe banana, tropical candy and a creamy vanilla finish. Runtz phenotype · piatellaWhite RuntzCitrus-forward, sweet herbal and candy-adjacent, with peppery, earthy depth.

All our products are lab tested, with Delta-9 THC at or below the 0.2% UK limit, and intended for hot-water tea infusion only.

Runtz strain FAQs

What is the Runtz strain?

A balanced hybrid bred from Zkittlez and Gelato, known for a sweet, fruit-candy profile. Leafly named it Strain of the Year in 2020.

Is Runtz indica or sativa?

It's a balanced hybrid.

What is Runtz crossed with?

Zkittlez and Gelato.

What's the difference between Runtz and White Runtz?

They share the same parents. White Runtz is a separate phenotype, selected for heavy white frost and a brighter, citrus-led nose.

What does Runtz taste like?

Sweet tropical fruit candy over a creamy base, with a little spice.

Can you buy Runtz in the UK?

Not as straight Runtz from The Bud Works at the moment. We carry three Runtz-family profiles: Peach Mimosa Runtz, Banana Runtz and White Runtz.

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