Sweetcorn
Zea mays
Also called Corn on the cob and Maize
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitPlant it in a block, never a row — it is wind-pollinated, and a single line gives you gappy cobs.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 2 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Once a fortnight
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Tender — no frost at all RHS H2, to 1°C
- Size
- 2 m tall · 0.75 m across
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Origin
- Mesoamerica
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and Clemson HGIC on 2026-07-31. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- The tassels shedding pollen over a single long row rather than a square block — visible at flowering, a month before the gap-toothed cob.Poor pollination · disorder
- Seedlings pulled out and left lying on the surface, or neat holes down the drill within days of sowing, the seed gone from the bottom.Mice and birds · pest
- A silver-grey spongy swelling on a cob or a stalk joint in hot weather, before it bursts to a sooty black powder.Smut · disease