Zea mays Field of Dreams - Ornamental corn

The 'Field of Dreams' Ornamental Corn, known by its Latin name Zea mays, is a tall annual grass with highly ornamental foliage striped with green, white, and pink. It produces tiny corn cobs from summer to autumn. In autumn, they can be cut or dried to make beautiful and unique small bouquets. Reaching 1.50 m in a year, this plant appreciates sunlight, fertile soil, and water. It structures flower beds and adds colour for a season.

Zea mays is a tropical annual plant with running roots from the poaceae family. Native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, and southern Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Brazil, it was the staple food of the indigenous peoples before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. This plant grows very rapidly, reaching a height of 1.50 m and a width of 30 cm in one season. It has a single, thick, woody stem composed of several internodes measuring 15 to 20 cm, with only one leaf per node. Each leaf is inserted alternately on both sides of the stem. The large lanceolate leaves are arched and waxy and measure up to 8 cm wide and 80 cm long. In the 'Field of Dreams' variety, they show parallel veins and their colour is light green, pink, and white. In spring and early summer, male flower panicles and axillary female inflorescences of the same size appear. These are followed by small cobs. The grains are brown-purple to black. They are edible and can be used to make popcorn.

Ornamental Corn will find a place in ornamental gardens as well as in vegetable gardens or large pots. Combine it with lower flowering annual plants in pink or white. Plant several stems along the border to create a structured and colourful background. It is easy to cut the plant, leaving only a few leaves, and dry it upside down in a cool and airy place. The cobs are ready to be harvested when the leaves start to change colour. Easy to sow in a greenhouse or directly in the ground, and can even be done by children.