The Gorilla Zkittlez strain is, to my mind, what Zkittlez should have been all along. I have grown both, and that is not a knock on Zkittlez. The flavour was always the best thing about it, all that tropical candy sweetness. What it never quite had was punch.
Gorilla Zkittlez fixes exactly that. Barney’s Farm crossed it with Gorilla Glue #4, and the GG4 side brings the oomph, the resin and the potency that Zkittlez was missing, while the candy flavour comes through almost untouched. You get the best of the candy line with a genuinely heavy hit behind it.
This is a strain review, so the full grow detail, the yields, the flowering numbers and the Australian harvest timing all live on the Gorilla Zkittlez feminised seeds page, with the rest of our cannabis seeds there too. Here I want to get into where it comes from, why the cross works as well as it does, and what to actually expect from it.
Where Gorilla Zkittlez Comes From
The Gorilla Zkittlez strain, or Gorilla Z as a lot of growers shorten it, is a Barney’s Farm cross of two of the most celebrated American strains of the last decade: Gorilla Glue #4 and Zkittlez. Both are award winners in their own right, and the entire point of the cross was to put the strengths of each into one plant.
Gorilla Glue #4, also called Original Glue or just GG4, is the resin half. It is a cross of Sour Dubb, Chem’s Sister and Chocolate Diesel, and it earned its name honestly: the trichome production is so heavy it gums up trimming scissors. It swept the 2014 High Times Cannabis Cups in both Los Angeles and Michigan and has been a benchmark for potency and resin ever since. If you have grown our Gorilla Glue, you already know the structural DNA that Gorilla Zkittlez inherits: the dense, sticky, trichome-drowned buds and the gas.
Zkittlez is the flavour half. Bred by 3rd Gen Family from Grape Ape and Grapefruit, it took first place for Best Indica at the 2016 Emerald Cup, and it did something bigger than win a trophy. It pushed cannabis breeding toward flavour-first genetics. Before Zkittlez, potency was the headline and flavour was an afterthought. Zkittlez made the candy-sweet, tropical, fruit-forward profile something breeders actively chased, and a huge slice of the dessert and candy strains that followed owe it a debt.
So Gorilla Zkittlez is two Californian icons brought together in Amsterdam: the resin and power of GG4, the candy flavour of Zkittlez. On paper it is an obvious idea. In practice the cross holds together unusually well, which is why it became a modern classic rather than just another novelty hybrid.
Why I Rate It Over Zkittlez
I will be straight about this. Zkittlez on its own is a lovely smoke, but for a lot of growers it lands a little light on potency, especially anyone used to modern high-THC strains. Gorilla Zkittlez is the fix. The GG4 cross lifts it from medium strength into genuine heavy-hitter territory at 24 to 26%, and it stacks far more resin, which matters a great deal if you make hash or rosin.
What surprised me is how much of the candy survived. I half expected the GG4 gas to bulldoze the Zkittlez sweetness, but it does not. You get the tropical fruit up front and the gas and chocolate sitting underneath. If you liked Zkittlez and wished it hit harder, this is the one.
Flavour, Aroma and the High
The nose is the headline. Tropical fruit and sweet candy from the Zkittlez side, with a gassy, diesel edge and a clear note of chocolate underneath, which traces straight back to GG4’s Chocolate Diesel parent. The terpenes behind it are led by caryophyllene, with limonene for the citrus lift and myrcene filling out the earthy, heavy base. Grown outdoors in strong sun, some plants push further into ocimene and develop more complexity than indoor runs tend to manage.
The effect is firmly indica-dominant. It opens with a bright, euphoric, almost talkative lift, then settles into a deep, heavy, full-body relaxation as the GG4 and the 24 to 26% THC take over. This is an evening strain. It is the one for the back end of the day when nothing is left on the list, not a strain to reach for if you need to stay sharp.
What to Expect
A potent, flavour-led indica-dominant hybrid. Sweet tropical candy on the nose with gas and chocolate underneath, a euphoric start, and a heavy, relaxing finish that suits the evening. At 24 to 26% THC it is built for experienced smokers rather than a gentle introduction.
A Resin and Hash Monster
One thing worth calling out for the extract crowd: the GG4 lineage makes this a serious choice for concentrates. The trichome density that GG4 is famous for carries straight through, so Gorilla Zkittlez is a strong pick for bubble hash, rosin and dry sift, with the bonus that the Zkittlez terpenes give those extracts a flavour most high-resin strains cannot match. Late in flower, some phenotypes throw light purple in the leaves and sugar leaves as well, a nod to the Zkittlez heritage and a nice visual payoff at harvest.
Who It Suits
Gorilla Zkittlez is for experienced growers and smokers who want flavour and potency in the same plant, for anyone who liked Zkittlez and wanted more punch, and for the hash and rosin crowd after resin with a terpene profile worth keeping. It is a heavy evening strain, so it is not the pick if you want something light, energising or daytime. The strain finder below will point you elsewhere if that is you.
Growing Gorilla Zkittlez in Australia
The Australian short version: the Gorilla Zkittlez strain suits most of the warmer parts of the country, indoors or out, and it finishes outdoors around late March to early April in the Southern Hemisphere, which gets it in ahead of the worst autumn weather in warm temperate and subtropical regions. The flower is a manageable 8 to 9 weeks.
The one real watch-point is bud density. Those fat, resinous colas hold moisture, so in humid conditions airflow and humidity control are not optional, particularly in the last few weeks. It is not a difficult strain, but it is not a forgiving one in a wet autumn either, so I would not hand it to someone on their first ever grow. The detailed mechanics, the temperatures, the humidity targets and the full Australian harvest timing all sit on the Gorilla Zkittlez seeds page. There is also an autoflower version if you want a fixed, faster timeline and a more compact plant. For where it sits among other strains by region, the best cannabis strains for the Australian climate guide is the place to look.Want potency and flavour without the guesswork?
Answer six quick questions and we’ll match you to three strains based on your setup, experience and the effect you’re after.
Key Takeaways
Two icons, one plant. The Gorilla Zkittlez strain is Barney’s Farm’s cross of Gorilla Glue #4 and Zkittlez, both award winners, fusing GG4’s resin and power with Zkittlez’s candy flavour.
The upgrade. It keeps the tropical candy of Zkittlez but adds the potency it lacked, hitting 24 to 26% THC with far heavier resin.
Flavour and effect. Sweet tropical fruit with gas and chocolate underneath, a euphoric start, then a deep, relaxing, evening finish.
Resin king. The GG4 trichome density makes it a strong choice for hash, rosin and dry sift.
Best for. Experienced growers with airflow sorted, available as photoperiod or autoflower seeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Gorilla Zkittlez strain?
Gorilla Zkittlez, often shortened to Gorilla Z, is an indica-dominant hybrid bred by Barney’s Farm from Gorilla Glue #4 and Zkittlez. It combines GG4’s heavy resin and potency with Zkittlez’s tropical candy flavour, running 24 to 26% THC with a euphoric start and a deep, relaxing finish.
What strains make up Gorilla Zkittlez?
It is a cross of Gorilla Glue #4 (itself Sour Dubb, Chem’s Sister and Chocolate Diesel) and Zkittlez (Grape Ape and Grapefruit). GG4 brings the resin, potency and gas, while Zkittlez brings the candy-sweet, tropical, fruit-forward flavour. Both parents are award winners.
Is Gorilla Zkittlez better than Zkittlez?
For most growers, yes, if potency matters to you. Zkittlez has the flavour but lands fairly light on strength. Gorilla Zkittlez keeps that tropical candy profile but adds GG4’s potency and resin, lifting it to 24 to 26% THC. If you liked Zkittlez and wanted more punch, Gorilla Zkittlez is the upgrade.
How strong is Gorilla Zkittlez?
Very. It runs 24 to 26% THC, which puts it firmly in heavy-hitter territory and suits experienced smokers rather than newcomers. The effect is potent and physical, building from a euphoric lift into a deep, sedating body relaxation.
What does Gorilla Zkittlez taste like?
Sweet tropical fruit and candy from the Zkittlez side, with a gassy diesel edge and a distinct chocolate note underneath from GG4’s Chocolate Diesel parent. The terpene profile is led by caryophyllene, with limonene and myrcene. It is one of the few high-THC strains where the flavour genuinely stands out.
Is Gorilla Zkittlez a sativa or indica?
It is an indica-dominant hybrid, roughly 60/40. The high reflects that, opening with a brief cerebral lift before settling into a heavy, relaxing, full-body effect best suited to the evening.
Is Gorilla Zkittlez good for hash or extracts?
Yes, it is one of the better choices. The GG4 lineage delivers exceptional trichome density, so it produces well for bubble hash, rosin and dry sift, and the Zkittlez terpenes give those extracts a flavour most high-resin strains cannot match.
Does Gorilla Zkittlez grow well in Australia?
It suits most of Australia’s warmer regions, indoors or outdoors, and finishes outdoors around late March to early April with a manageable 8 to 9 week flower. The main thing to manage is bud density: the dense, resinous colas need good airflow and humidity control in the final weeks, especially in a humid autumn. Full grow detail is on the product page.
Does Gorilla Zkittlez have an autoflowering version?
Yes. Auto Gorilla Zkittlez runs the same GG4 and Zkittlez genetics on a fixed, faster timeline of around 75 days seed to harvest, on a more compact plant. It is the more practical pick for small spaces or growers who would rather not manage a light schedule.
Is Gorilla Zkittlez a daytime or evening strain?
An evening strain. The indica dominance and the high THC make for a heavy, relaxing, physical effect that is better suited to winding down than to staying productive. It is not one to reach for if you need energy or focus.
Sacred Seeds Australia sells cannabis seeds strictly as souvenirs and for genetic preservation, in accordance with local laws. Nothing in this article is medical advice.
Related reading: our Gorilla Glue review for the resin parent behind it, the full high-THC seed range and our indica-dominant seeds, and the guide to the best cannabis strains for the Australian climate.
