What is a Trichome?

This is the basic anatomy of a cannabis plant’s trichome (greek for tiny hair). These tiny little suckers are very much like the fruit of the plant. Think of them like little grapes. Grapes grow out of the end of stems, fill with juice and pulp, then eventually pop off of the stem nicely, by design. Trichomes are the same, but just as there are many types of grapes, there are many different types of cannabis and also different types of trichomes.

As you can see in the figure, at the base of the trichome head, where it meets the stalk, there are basal cells, and stipe cells. These have been in the past known as the “cork layer”. This is one of, if not the most important aspect of a trichome when it comes to water extraction. If this part of the trichome releases or breaks off easily, then it is very easy to separate and collect them. If that layer is not easily broken, then those trichomes won’t fall off, and the end result will be a low yield. There are a few different types of trichomes, we are mostly after the bulbous stalked variety.

Trichomes tend to be filled with very sticky, oily chemicals, made by the plant. This is basically where all of the cannabinoids, terpenes and other aromatic compounds are synthesized and stored. The stalk of the trichome is made of plant skin cells, which are more like the average plant cell; mostly water, so when they are very cold, these cells can degrade or even explode, and the sticky, liquid contents of the head become more solid.

-Kevin Moon, Director of Extraction at Tahoe Wellness Center