From coast to coast in 2025, US consumers are rallying around a familiar blend of comfort classics and new-school flavor bombs. On the West Coast, dispensary menus still orbit Blue Dream, while fresh heat like Super Boof and Marker-family crosses dominate hype lists. On the East Coast, Lemon Cherry Gelato and legacy New York staples such as Sour Diesel share top billing with rising regional heroes like Blue Lobster. The net result: a market where aroma-driven hybrids with dessert, citrus, and gas notes are winning baskets alongside icons.
West Coast snapshot. California’s late-2024 scanner data showed the gravitational pull of Blue Dream, which led statewide flower sales by a wide margin heading into this year—an advantage still visible on many shelves in 2025. Meanwhile, Leafly’s Strain of the Year 2024, Super Boof (Black Cherry Punch x Tropicana Cookies), remains ubiquitous, flanked by Permanent Marker and spring-hot names like Gelonade, RS-11, and Hash Burger. Leafly’s seasonal roundups continue to feature these cultivars.
East Coast snapshot. New York’s leaderboard in 2025 consistently puts Lemon Cherry Gelato at—or near—the top, with crowd-pleasers like Blue Dream and Sour Diesel holding serve. Notably, Blue Lobster—a Northeast-bred strain—has become one of the state’s most searched and best-selling names, signaling how regional genetics can break through even in a Gelato-heavy era. In Massachusetts, shelves mix national flavors with local darlings; retail trackers show house-brand eighths and value lines leading unit volume, while media and tastemaker lists highlight Super Boof and Gelonade from local cultivators.
Nationwide consensus picks. Across multiple datasets and editorial roundups in 2025, the repeat headliners are Blue Dream, Lemon Cherry Gelato, Permanent Marker (and Marker crosses), Super Boof, RS-11, Runtz, Zoap, and Apple Fritter. These strains appear in national “best of” or sales lists and keep resurfacing across regions—suggesting sustained demand beyond short-term drops. For consumers, that translates into solid availability and enough brand competition to shop for terpene-rich batches rather than chasing THC percentage alone.
Why they’re hot. The common thread isn’t just THC—it’s layered aroma (tropical citrus, cherry-berry, and sweet gas), smooth texture, and repeatable effects. Budtenders’ ballots from late 2024 into early 2025 echo the same trend: flavor-forward hybrids that deliver balanced euphoria and function are winning word-of-mouth, while legacy gassy cuts retain a loyal base.
Shopper takeaways. If you’re on the West Coast, start with Super Boof, Permanent Marker or Scented Marker, Gelonade, or RS-11 from reputable cultivators; benchmark them against a classic Blue Dream to calibrate effects. East Coasters should prioritize Lemon Cherry Gelato and Blue Lobster where available, then sample a Sour Diesel or Blue Dream for contrast. Nationwide, Apple Fritter, Zoap, and Runtz remain dependable tests of a store’s sourcing. As always, shop by terp label and recent harvest date; ask for COAs, and remember that freshness and cure often beat a one-point THC edge.
Emerging movers to watch. Marker offspring such as Scented Marker, along with dessert-leaning crosses of Gelato and Wedding Cake, are showing broader menu penetration this year, aided by strong bag appeal and social buzz. Celebrity brand drops further amplify visibility—driving trial for strains that align with those flavor families and pushing limited releases into quick sell-outs. Regional roundups—from Florida’s 420 lists to national summer snapshots—also keep surfacing the same names, reinforcing that today’s “hot list” reflects durable demand rather than a flash in the pan.