Sweet Corn Strawberry seeds - Zea mays

The 'Strawberry' Corn Seeds, with its Latin name Zea mays, form a large annual grass that produce small decorative corn cobs the size of a large strawberry from summer to autumn, in a dark red colour. In autumn, they can be cut or dried to create very original small bouquets. The small grains can also be used for popcorn. Reaching 1.50 m in a year, this plant appreciates sun, 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. Originally from Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, southern Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Brazil, it was the staple food of Native American peoples before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. This plant grows very rapidly, reaching 1.50 m in height and 30 cm in width in one season. It has a single thick, woody stem with several nodes of 15 to 20 cm, one leaf per node. Each leaf is alternately inserted on either side of the stem. The large lanceolate, arched, waxy-textured leaves can measure up to 8 cm wide and 80 cm long. In spring and early summer, male flower panicles appear, as well as axillary female inflorescences of the same size. These are followed by small fruits. In the 'Strawberry' variety, the grains are a beautiful dark red. They are edible and can be used for making popcorn.

Ornamental Corn will find a place in the ornamental garden as well as in the vegetable garden or in a large pot. Combine it with pink or white lower flowering annual plants. Plant several stems in a border to create a structured and colourful backdrop. It is easy to cut the plant, remove excess leaves, and dry the head upside down in a cool, airy place. The cobs are ready to be harvested when the leaves start changing colour. Sowing is easy under a cloche or directly in the ground, and it can even be done by children.