Melonade is a sativa from Alien Labs, the Sacramento-grown brand founded by Ted Lidie. It crosses Watermelon Z with Lemon Tree, and it was one of the first strains Alien Labs bred in-house.
Its most notable fact came early. Melonade won Best Sativa Flower at the first legal High Times Cannabis Cup in Sacramento in May 2019, before its official market release.
An in-house cross from Alien Labs
Ted Lidie is from Redding, California. He moved to San Francisco in 2008 and set up Alien Labs in 2013. Do-Si-Dos put the brand on the map in its early legal years. In 2017, after Prop 64 passed, Lidie partnered with Connected Cannabis Co., a company he calls family. Connected has since grown to three states and about 400 employees.
Melonade arrived as the company started breeding its own lines. Alien Labs released it on December 17, 2018, at the Emerald Cup. Alien Labs calls it a sweet, resin-covered cross of Watermelon Z and Lemon Tree.
The breeding program behind it is large. Alien Labs runs an 800-light grow in Sacramento, built in 2015, plus a 500-light facility dedicated to breeding. Five times a year the team plants 700–800 seeds, and roughly 400 become breeding stock.
Watermelon Z meets Lemon Tree
Watermelon Z, also sold as Watermelon Zkittlez, comes from Zkittlez and Watermelon. It is an indica-dominant hybrid with a tropical, sweet fruit profile. The same parent also shows up behind Watermelon Runtz and Watermelon Gelato.
Lemon Tree is a balanced hybrid from Sour Diesel × Lemon Skunk. It is known for lemon and diesel character, and growers describe it as easy to grow with large yields. Lemon Tree is also a parent of Gelonade, so the two share one side of their family.
Alien Labs lists β-caryophyllene, D-limonene and β-myrcene as its leading terpenes, and the flavor runs to citrus and melon. The high is typically described as euphoric and cerebral, with an uplifted, energetic feel.
A Cup winner with a short first run
The May 2019 win came in Sacramento, the same city where Alien Labs grows. Melonade took Best Sativa Flower at a High Times Cannabis Cup that was the first held under California's legal market rules.
The win did not lead to a long first run. Melonade had only one legal market drop at first. Lidie pulled it from production once other growers began copying it, taking it off the menu right away.
Forbes later named it among the brand's fan-favorite cultivars, next to Biscotti, Gelato 41, Y2K, Biskante and Atomic Apple.
Melonade in carts, pre-rolls and sauce
Melonade has since come back in several formats. Alien Labs lists a Melonade live resin cartridge, a cured resin cartridge, a live resin disposable and a 1g pre-roll, each carrying the same Watermelon Z × Lemon Tree lineage.
The strain also appears in a split jar. Alien Labs' Melonade X Sherbacio live sauce pairs it with Sherbacio, a hybrid built from Sunset Sherbet and Gelato #41. The combination sets Melonade's citrus-and-melon side against a Gelato-family dessert profile.