Corn
Zea mays
- Native to:
- Guam, Guatemala, Palau, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Zea
- Species:
- Zea mays
- USDA Symbol:
- ZEMA
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 300 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★★★ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Achatodes zeae, Achyra similalis, Acrolophus popeanella, Agriphila ruricolellus, Agriphila vulgivagellus, Agrotis orthogonia, Agrotis venerabilis, Alfalfa Looper (Autographa californica), almond moth (Cadra cautella), American ear moth (Amphipoea americana), American plum borer (Euzophera semifuneralis), American wainscot (Hydraecia immanis), Amphipoea velata, Apamea finitima, Apamea vulgaris, Argyrogramma verruca, Army cutworm (Euxoa auxiliaris), Armyworm moth (Pseudaletia unipuncta), banana moth (Opogona sacchari), Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua), Beet Webworm (Loxostege sticticalis), beet webworm moth (Spoladea recurvalis), Bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata), Black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), black-dotted spragueia (Spragueia onagrus), Bronzed Cutworm (Nephelodes minians), Brown house moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella), Burdock Borer (Papaipema cataphracta), cabbage webworm (Hellula rogatalis), Carob moth (Ectomyelois ceratoniae), Celery Looper (Anagrapha falcifera), changeable grass-veneer (Fissicrambus mutabilis), clandestine dart (Spaelotis clandestina), clover cutworm (Agrotis gladiaria), common grass-veneer (Crambus praefectellus), common tan wave (Pleuroprucha insulsaria), corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), corn root webworm (Neodactria caliginosellus), Cosmet moth (Pyroderces rileyi), cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria), Deterred Dart (Euxoa detersa), Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), dingy cutworm (Feltia jaculifera), Eastern grass-veneer (Crambus laqueatellus), elegant grass-veneer (Microcrambus elegans), European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), Euxoa albipennis, Euxoa dargo, Euxoa declarata, Euxoa niveilinea, Euxoa ochrogaster, Euxoa olivia, Euxoa tessellata, Faint-spotted Palthis Moth (Palthis asopialis), Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Faronta albilinea, Faronta diffusa, figwort stem borer moth (Papaipema sauzalitae), Flounced Chestnut (Agrochola helvola), fractured brocade (Oligia fractilinea), garden webworm moth (Achyra rantalis), glassy cutworm (Apamea devastator), Gothic dart (Feltia subgothica), Grammia arge, Greater Black-letter Dart (Xestia dolosa), Green Cloverworm Moth (Hypena scabra), Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), Harnessed Tiger Moth (Apantesis phalerata), Holomelina aurantiaca, Honeydew moth (Cryptoblabes gnidiella), Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), Io moth (Automeris io), Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella), kidney-spotted minor (Lacinipolia renigera), lesser cornstalk borer (Elasmopalpus lignosellus), Leucania latiuscula, Macronoctua onusta, Mahogany shoot borer (Hypsipyla sp.), Meropleon cosmion, Mesapamea stipata, Mexican rice borer (Eoreuma loftini), Moodna bisinuella, navel orangeworm (Amyelois transitella), Neodactria luteolellus, Neodactria zeellus, Old Man Dart (Agrotis vetusta), Oligia semicana, Olivia's buckmoth (Hemileuca oliviae), Omnivorous Leafroller (Platynota stultana), Pediasia trisecta, Phidotricha erigens, Phyllira Tiger Moth (Grammia phyllira), Platynota nigrocervina, Pulse pod borer (Etiella zinckenella), Pyroderces badia, rascal dart moth (Agrotis malefida), Reniform Dart (Celaena reniformis), rice leafroller (Cnaphalocrocis trapezalis), Richia albicosta, rosy rustic (Hydraecia micacea), Rusty Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens), Saddleback Caterpillar Moth (Acharia stimulea), Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea), Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum), Simyra henrici, Small Mocis Moth (Mocis latipes), Smartweed Borer (Ostrinia obumbratalis), Smeared Dagger Moth (Acronicta oblinita), sorghum nola moth (Nola sorghiella), Southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania), sparganothis fruitworm moth (Sparganothis sulfureana), speckled cutworm (Lacanobia subjuncta), Spiramater lutra, spotted oakworm moth (Anisota stigma), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris), stored nut moth (Paralipsa gularis), Striped rice borer (Chilo suppressalis), Sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis), Sugarcane borer (Diatraea sp.), Sweetpotato Armyworm (Spodoptera dolichos), Tersa sphinx (Xylophanes tersa), underworld dart (Agrotis subterranea), Variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), Virgin Tiger Moth (Grammia virgo), Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), Yellow-collared Scape Moth (Cisseps fulvicollis), Yellow-headed Cutworm (Apamea amputatrix), Yellow-striped armyworm (Spodoptera ornithogalli), zebra caterpillar moth (Melanchra picta), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.8 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers deep, nutrient-rich soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 4–12 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily in warm soil (65-85°F); no pretreatment required. Plant after last frost when soil has warmed.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Sow @ 20C. Germinates within 3 months.