Stinky Badger

Stinky Badger is the result of a long-term breeding collaboration spanning six years, focused on stabilizing rare leaf mutations and preserving unique terpene expressions. The project began when UM received a gifted Duckfoot line from Triple C, a cultivar registered through Phylos. Early breeding work started with F1 generations that were repeatedly backcrossed and advanced into F2 populations until the signature Duckfoot webbed-leaf mutation consistently appeared. From there, UM selected the webbed trait and crossed it with a cultivar called Xmas79, a line he had received in 2016 and personally valued for its significance in supporting his experience living with spina bifida (myelomeningocele). This cross became known as XmasDuck. XmasDuck was then crossed back into the Duckfoot F2 population. Through observation, intuition, and careful selection of leaf morphology, UM identified matching recessive alleles, producing offspring that again expressed the distinctive Duckfoot web mutation. Later, Triple C contributed another experimental line: Duckfoot crossed with Freakshow by Shapeshifter (Humboldt Seed Co.). From that population, one plant stood out—a narrow, lanceolate (single-leaflet) phenotype—which was selected and crossed into the XmasDuck project. With multiple generations reinforcing both Duckfoot and Freakshow traits, the resulting progeny produced a highly unusual lanceolate phenotype paired with an unforgettable aroma profile: sweet, rancid, and reminiscent of decaying meat. Unexpectedly, this plant became the keeper. The line was stabilized and released as Stinky Badger. The name came from a road trip taken by UM. Spotting what appeared to be a raccoon on the roadside, he discovered it was actually a badger. The combination of hot asphalt, dry grass, and decomposing animal scent matched the plant’s terpene profile so closely that the name immediately stuck. Lineage Overview: Duckfoot × Duckfoot → Duckfoot F2 Duckfoot F2 × Xmas79 → XmasDuck F1 (recessive “