Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans Massangeana )

A popcorn kernel has an extremely hard hull that surrounds a mass of moist starchy endosperm (the food of the embryo). When such a kernel is heated to about 400 °F (about 200 °C), the moisture in the starch turns into steam and builds up pressure until the kernel explodes inside out into an irregular white fluffy mass about 20 to 40 times the kernel’s original size. About 25 corn varieties are suitable for popcorn.

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• Living History Farms – Crops – Corn
• Government of Canada – Canadian Food Inspection Agency – The biology of Zea mays L. (maize)
• National Center for Biotechnology Information – Corn
• Healthline – Corn 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
• Biology LibreTexts – Corn
• Pennsylvania State University – PlantVillage – Maize (corn)

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While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

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• Living History Farms – Crops – Corn
• Government of Canada – Canadian Food Inspection Agency – The biology of Zea mays L. (maize)
• National Center for Biotechnology Information – Corn
• Healthline – Corn 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
• Biology LibreTexts – Corn
• Pennsylvania State University – PlantVillage – Maize (corn)

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

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Corn is a tall annual cereal grass (Zea mays) that is widely grown for its large elongated ears of starchy seeds. The seeds, which are also known as corn, are used as food for humans and livestock and as a source of biofuel and can be processed into a wide range of useful chemicals.

Corn was originally domesticated in Mexico by native peoples by about 9,000 years ago. They used many generations of selective breeding to transform a wild teosinte grass with small grains into the rich source of food that is modern Zea mays.

A popcorn kernel has an extremely hard hull that surrounds a mass of moist starchy endosperm (the food of the embryo). When such a kernel is heated to about 400 °F (about 200 °C), the moisture in the starch turns into steam and builds up pressure until the kernel explodes inside out into an irregular white fluffy mass about 20 to 40 times the kernel’s original size. About 25 corn varieties are suitable for popcorn.

corn, (Zea mays), cereal plant of the grass family (Poaceae) and its edible grain. The domesticated crop originated in the Americas and is one of the most widely distributed of the world’s food crops. Corn is used as livestock feed, as human food, as biofuel, and as raw material in industry.

Domestication and history

Corn was first domesticated by native peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Modern corn is believed to have been derived from the Balsas teosinte (Zea mays parviglumis), a wild grass. Its culture had spread as far north as southern Maine by the time of European settlement of North America, and Native Americans taught European colonists to grow the indigenous grains. Since its introduction into Europe by Christopher Columbus and other explorers and colonizers, corn has spread to all areas of the world suitable to its cultivation. It is grown from 58° N latitude in Canada and Russia to 40° S latitude in South America, with a corn crop maturing somewhere in the world nearly every month of the year. It is the most important crop in the United States and is a staple food in many places.

Physical description

The corn plant is a tall annual grass with a stout, erect, solid stem. The large narrow leaves have wavy margins and are spaced alternately on opposite sides of the stem. Staminate (male) flowers are borne on the tassel terminating the main axis of the stem. The pistillate (female) inflorescences, which mature to become the edible ears, are spikes with a thickened axis, bearing paired spikelets in longitudinal rows; each row of paired spikelets normally produces two rows of grain. Varieties of yellow and white corn are the most popular as food, though there are varieties with red, blue, pink, and black kernels, often banded, spotted, or striped. Each ear is enclosed by modified leaves called shucks or husks.

Types of corn

Commercial classifications, based mainly on kernel texture, include dent corn, flint corn, flour corn, sweet corn, and popcorn. Dent corn, primarily grown as animal feed and for food manufacturing, is characterized by a depression in the crown of the kernel caused by unequal drying of the hard and soft starch making up the kernel. Flint corn, containing little soft starch, has no depression; it is used for decoration and is eaten as hominy in the Americas. Flour corn, composed largely of soft starch, has soft, mealy, easily ground kernels and is an important source of corn flour. Sweet corn, commonly sold fresh, frozen, or canned as a vegetable, has wrinkled translucent seeds; the plant sugar is not converted to starch as in other types. Popcorn, an extreme type of flint corn characterized by small hard kernels, is devoid of soft starch, and heating causes the moisture in the cells to expand, making the kernels explode. Improvements in corn have resulted from hybridization, based on crossbreeding of superior inbred strains.

Genetically modified corn

Many industrial and feedstock varieties of corn are genetically modified organisms (GMOs) engineered for resistance to the herbicide glyphosate or to produce proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to kill specific insect pests. In addition, some strains have been genetically engineered for greater drought tolerance and to increase their nutritional value. Most of the corn grown in the United States is GMO, which may reduce the need for herbicides and insecticides.

Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans ‘Massangeana’)

Corn plant, also sometimes called mass cane, is exceptionally easy to grow, making it one of the best houseplants for beginners. Corn plant bears a thick woody trunk topped by clusters of strappy dark green leaves highlighted by a lime-green stripe down the center. Corn plant’s attractive appearance makes it an excellent choice for a wide range of decor styles, from country and rustic to modern and contemporary.

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Note: Corn plant is poisonous; keep it away from curious children or pets that may nibble the foliage.

Corn Plant Growing Instructions

Corn plant grows best in a bright spot, but tolerates low-light situations well. In areas with less light, it will grow more slowly and may show less lime-green coloration. Allow the top inch or so of the soil to dry between waterings; you’ll probably find the plant needs more frequent watering in spring and summer than it does fall and winter. If the leaves develop brown tips or edges, boost humidity by grouping it with other houseplants.

In situations where it’s extremely happy, corn plant will bloom, producing clusters of fragrant, creamy-white flowers. However, it doesn’t bloom in most homes because it prefers more light to bear its small flowers.

Fertilize corn plant with any general-purpose fertilizer made for houseplants. Follow the directions on the package to know how much fertilizer to use. You can fertilize as often as the package recommends or as little as every six months, depending on how fast you want your corn plant to grow.

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