7 Types of Corn You Can Grow at Home—and What They’re Good For

From home gardeners to farmers market customers to retailers, everyone looks forward to the sweet corn harvest. But there are varieties of corn you can grow for uses beyond fresh consumption. Here we explore the most common varieties, their appearance and flavor, and the best uses for each.

Sweet corn

Dozens of varieties of sweet corn, (Zea mays L.), have been developed and grouped into one of five categories. For most home gardeners, options include ‘standard sugar (su)’, ‘enhanced sugar (se)’ and ‘super sweet (sh2)’.

The remaining two groups, ‘synergistic (syn)’ and ‘augmented supersweets (shA or aug)’, are mainly grown commercially for their long shelf life. All varieties in this group produce sweet, soft seeds for fresh eating and can be yellow, white, bi-coloured, red, black or green.

Standard sweet corn (su) includes heirloom varieties that turn to starch within a day or two of picking. Along with standard white, yellow, and bicolor corn, these varieties include corn with black, blue, or red kernels. Sugar-enhanced corn (se) contains higher sugar content and retains flavor for up to ten days after picking. Super sweet corn (sh2) has the highest sugar content and the longest shelf life—up to two weeks when refrigerated.

• Silver Queen (su): A popular heirloom variety, the 8- to 9-inch long cobs have 14 to 16 rows of sweet, milky white kernels. This late-season corn only lasts a few days before becoming starchy and losing its sweet flavor.
• Peaches and Cream (se): A popular yellow and white corn variety for home gardens, this hybrid has 7 1/2 inch long ears with 14 rows of kernels that have a flavor that is a combination of yellow and white sweet corn with a high sugar content. Suitable for canning, freezing or eating fresh. Use within a week of picking.
• Illini Xtra Sweet (sh2): A hardy heirloom variety with a long shelf life ideal for roadside stands and farmers markets. This variety produces 8-inch long ears with 14 to 16 rows of soft, golden-yellow kernels.

Popcorn

Popcorn, (Zea mays everta), is one of the oldest forms of cultivated corn, classified as rice corn or grain corn according to the shape of the kernels. Corn comes in yellow, white, red, blue, black, bi-colored, and multi-colored colors, of which yellow is the most common.

Corn cobs range in size from 2 to 3 inches miniature to 6 to 9 inches full size. The high starch content causes the kernels to pop when heated.

• Gunpowder: An heirloom and prolific variety, each plant bears two to three ears that are 6 to 9 inches long. The orange-yellow kernels have a mild buttery flavor and are soft when popped.
• Red strawberry: This heirloom variety produces three 2- to 3-inch long ruby-colored cobs, suitable for popping or fall decoration.
• Calico: Popcorn is 5 to 8 inches long with kernels that come in red, yellow, brown, black, green, blue, pink, and orange. Popcorn has a slightly nutty flavor.

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Corn flour

Corn flour, (Zea mays var. amylacea), It is usually grown from seed that produces yellow or white kernels. There are several varieties of corn that are alternately colored, and both the concave and flint varieties can also be ground into flour.

The best corn for making flour has soft, starchy kernels with a thin outer shell called a hull.

• Bloody Butcher: An heirloom variety that grows up to 12 feet tall. Each stalk produces two to six large (8 to 10 inch) ears of deep red kernels suitable for grinding into cornmeal. This is a perennial crop, maturing in 110 to 120 days.
• White King Hickory: A large, traditional corn variety that grows 12 to 13 feet tall with 8 to 9 inch long ears, each ear having 10 to 12 rows of flat, white, dimpled corn. The thick husks deter pests.
• Indian corn flour: An heirloom variety of corn used for cornmeal and oatmeal. Also known as rainbow corn, the multi-colored kernels make a popular fall decoration. The ears are 8 to 9 inches long.

Sawtooth corn

Sawtooth corn, (Zea mays hairless) Also known as field corn, it is the most widely grown corn in the corn-growing regions of the United States. This variety comes in various colors such as white, yellow, blue, red, green, gold, purple, brown, black and bi-color, of which the yellow varieties are the highest yielding varieties.

Sawtooth corn is characterized by a distinctive indentation or dent at the top of the kernel as the soft center collapses. It is used as animal feed, in processed foods, and in industrial products such as cooking oils and biodegradable plastics.

• Lancaster Sure Crop: The 12-foot tall plant has a strong root system to withstand wind and drought. The 10- to 12-inch long ear is relatively thin with 16 to 18 rows of large yellow kernels. Used primarily for silage and livestock feed.
• Reids Yellow Dent Field Corn: A hardy, high yielding heirloom variety used for livestock and wildlife forage, flour and cornmeal. Large 9 inch long ears of corn have 16 rows of flat, yellow, packed kernels.
• Earth tones: A novelty variety with deep earthy shades including gold, bronze, lilac, pink, green, brown and blue. The kernels are not as shiny as traditional Indian corn but have many uses including animal feed, flour and decoration. Large ears of corn are 8 to 10 inches long.

Flint Corn

Flint corn, (Zea corn var. indurata)Also known as ‘Indian Corn’, it is a late season variety often sold at farmers markets for fall decoration. It has a low water content and a hard outer shell that makes for a hard kernel.

Flint corn can be yellow, white, or multicolored and has a rich, earthy flavor. In addition to being used as an ornamental, flint corn is also used to make cornmeal, cornmeal, flour, and cornmeal.

• Cascade Yellow Ruby: Characteristics include 8 to 12 inch long, thin cobs with kernels that come in shades of red, orange, yellow and gold. Used to make cornbread and cornmeal with different colored kernels creating different flavors.
• Golden Guinea: This short-season, prolific heirloom corn variety produces up to eight 6-inch cobs per plant with golden yellow kernels, suitable for hominy and cornmeal.
• Wade Indian Giant Flint: The tall plant produces thick, heavy, 12-inch long ears filled with kernels in a variety of colors including yellow, blue, red, orange, white, purple, etc. Primarily used as an ornamental, it can also be used as cornmeal, corn flour, cornmeal, or animal feed.