Zea mays

Zea mays (sweetcorn / maize) — one of the world's great crops, domesticated in Mexico around 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Grown for sweet, tender cobs in our corn range.

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Zea mays — sweetcorn and maize

Zea mays is the botanical name for maize, or sweetcorn, one of the most important crops on earth and a tall, sun-loving annual grass. In the garden it is grown for sweet, tender cobs, part of our corn range within the wider vegetable collection.

History & origin

Maize was domesticated in southern Mexico around 9,000 years ago from a wild grass called teosinte, through one of the most remarkable feats of selection in human history — teosinte looks almost nothing like a modern corn cob. It became the staple grain of the Americas, grown by Indigenous peoples as one of the “Three Sisters” with beans and squash. After 1492 maize spread around the world to become a global crop second to none.

Its name reflects that journey: Zea is an old Greek word for a cereal grass, and mays comes from mahiz, the name used by the Taíno people of the Caribbean.

Botanical characteristics

A tall grass reaching two metres or more, maize is wind-pollinated: pollen falls from the tassels at the top of the plant onto the silks of the cobs below. This is why sweetcorn is always grown in a block rather than a single row, so that the cobs fill evenly. Modern sweetcorn has been bred for high sugar and tenderness, and is best eaten as fresh as possible, before the sugars turn to starch.

Growing Zea mays from seed

Sweetcorn is frost-tender and needs warmth — sow indoors in spring or direct once the soil is warm, and always plant in a block to ensure good pollination. Give it rich soil, full sun and steady water, especially as the cobs swell. Our vegetable sowing calendar and soil guide set you up for sweet, full cobs.

Ready to grow sweetcorn? Browse the varieties or learn the basics first.

Related categories: Corn · All Vegetables · Gourds & Squash · Peas & Beans · Fruiting Veg

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Zea mays?
It is the botanical name for maize, or sweetcorn, a tall annual grass.

Where does maize originate?
From southern Mexico, domesticated around 9,000 years ago from a wild grass called teosinte.

Why grow sweetcorn in a block?
It is wind-pollinated, so a block lets pollen reach the cobs and fill them evenly.

What does the name mean?
Zea is a Greek word for a cereal grass and mays comes from the Taíno name “mahiz.”

How do I grow it?
Sow in warmth, plant in a block, and give it rich soil, full sun and steady water.