About
This variety is beautiful – the plant itself has red stalks and husks and the male flowers, or tassels, are also tinted red. The sweetcorn kernels are white and red (sometimes almost purple), and the colour distribution may vary across cobs. The taste is sweet and delicious when fresh, but it can also be dried for cornmeal and flour. This is one of the few red sweetcorns that matures quickly enough in the short British summers so enjoy some new colour in your veg patch! Expect good yields from short stocky plants. Matures in 80-100 days.
About the genus
A genus of five, large, flowering plants the grass family. The most important species, Zea mays is widely cultivated food crop. Male flowers are borne in large, terminal inflorescences (tassels) and female flowers are hidden in clusters in the leaf axils
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, South-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH2
Plant details
Plant typeAnnual Biennial
HabitColumnar upright
FoliageDeciduous
Height1.5-2.5 metres
Spread0.5-1 metres
Time to full height1 year
Suggested usesPrairie planting, borders, naturalistic schemes.
Care notes
CultivationGrow in a sunny, sheltered spot in soil that has been enriched with well-rotted organic matter. Sweetcorn can tolerate many soil types but prefers well-drained soils with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. Harvest from July to October. See sweetcorn cultivation for futher information.
PruningNo pruning required.
PropagationSow seeds undercover from mid-spring in pots or modules and then plant out May - June after hardening off and the last frosts have passed. Alternatively sow 'in situ' from late spring to early summer. Always plant in a grid pattern to ensure pollination. See sowing vegetable seeds
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to damage from birds, slugs, mice and badgers.
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to smuts which appear as large galls on the cobs and stalks in hot weather.