// SPECIES PROFILE · FOOD CROP · CULTIVATED

Sweet Corn

Zea mays var. rugosa

Sweet Corn (Zea mays var. rugosa) is a cultivated annual food crop grown for its edible seed. Family: Poaceae (grass family). Originally from Mexico. Grown as an annual in zones 3a–11a. Mature size 5'–8'. Harvest in northeastern Oklahoma: Jul–Aug.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Poaceae (grass family)
Group: crop · annual
Origin: Mexico · cultivated
USDA zones: Zones 3a–11a (as an annual)
Mature size: 5'–8'
Sun: Full sun
Water: High · moisture-loving
Edible parts: seed
Harvest (NE OK): Jul–Aug
Garden role: block-planted summer grain · wind-pollinated · pick at the milk stage

Sweet Corn (Zea mays var. rugosa) — *Zea mays var. rugosa* — Sweet Corn. Photo by The original Uploader was wstoakLL at English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: block-planted summer grain · wind-pollinated · pick at the milk stage. A cultivated food crop — not a native — grown alongside regional natives in Rooted Revival's kitchen-garden and food-forest designs. Harvest windows are for northeastern Oklahoma (USDA zone 7a).

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a kitchen garden or food-forest guild, sweet corn pairs well with: Pole Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), Winter Squash (Cucurbita spp.<br><small>(C. moschata · C. maxima · C. pepo · C. argyrosperma)</small>), Cucumber (Cucumis sativus), Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo (Reticulatus Group)).