Corn care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Corn (Zea mays) wants full sun and a drink about every 3 days once established. It is grown as an annual, so hardiness zones do not gate it.
| scientific name | Zea mays |
|---|---|
| family | Poaceae |
| category | vegetable |
| plant type | annual |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 3 |
| frost tolerant | false |
| edible | true |
How often should I water Corn?
Water deeply, especially during tasselling and ear fill.
Is Corn toxic?
We do not have a verified toxicity record for this species, so we will not say either way. Treat it as unknown around pets and children until a vet or a poison-control source says otherwise.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to grazing animals: high. Palatable to people: yes.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is low. Its moisture use is high. Its drought tolerance is low. It wants at least about 20 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 50 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.5. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.5. Its fertility requirement is high. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: no. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: no. It needs at least 90 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is low. Its tolerance of chalky soil is medium. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to 32°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a single stem form. Its growth rate is rapid. It puts on most of its growth in summer. It spreads by seed at a slow rate. It resprouts after damage: no. Coppices: no. At maturity it reaches about 8.0 feet. Its roots go down at least 8 inches. Its shape is erect. It holds its leaves through winter: no.
What it looks like
It blooms in early summer. The flowers are yellow. Conspicuous in flower: no. The foliage is dark green. The foliage texture is coarse. In summer the canopy is moderate in porosity. In winter it is porous in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is yellow. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by summer. It fruits high. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: no. Propagated by container: no. Propagated by bare root: no. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Seedling vigour is high. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: USDA PLANTS Database; US Cooperative Extension horticulture publications · 2026-09-02