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Corn

Zea mays

—
Not native

Not native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Height
5–8 feet
Spread
1–2 feet
Light
Full sun
See native alternatives

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  • Crested Sedge
    Carex cristatella

    Sun: Full sun to part shade. Soil: Average to wet. Flowers: Green.

    Similar growth form, spread, evergreen or deciduous

  • Fringed Sedge
    Carex crinita

    Sun: Part shade. Soil: Moist to wet. Flowers: Green.

    Similar growth form, spread, evergreen or deciduous

  • Switchgrass
    Panicum virgatum

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Yellow, pink, purple or red.

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

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At a glance

Life cycle
Annual
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Early summer
Fruiting season
Summer

Not yet recorded · Soil

Recorded in 22 Alabama counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

94CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Zea

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Achatodes zeaeElder Shoot Border Moth, Spindele Worm, Cornstalk Borer
  • Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
  • Acrolophus arcanellaGrass Tubeworm Moth
  • Acrolophus popeanellaClemen's Grass Tubeworm
  • Acronicta insularisHenry's Marsh Moth, Cattail Caterpillar
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Agriphila ruricolellusSilver Striped Webworm, Lesser Vagabond Sod Webworm, Lesser Vagabond Crambid
  • Agriphila vulgivagellusVagabond Crambus, Black Headed Sod Webworm
  • Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
Show all 94
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis venerabilisVenerable Dart, Dusky Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis vetustaOld Man Dart
  • Amyelois transitellaNavel Orangeworm
  • Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
  • Anatrachyntis badiaFlorida Pink Scavanger Caterpillar
  • Anatrachyntis rileyiPink Scavanger Caterpillar
  • Ancyloxypha numitorLeast Skipper
  • Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
  • Apantesis argeArge Tiger Moth
  • Apantesis phalerataHarnessed Moth
  • Apantesis phylliraPhyllira Tiger Moth
  • Argyrogramma verrucaGolden Looper
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Calpodes ethliusBrazilian Skipper, Canna Skipper, Canna Leafroller
  • Cisseps fulvicollisYellow-Collared Scape Moth
  • Crambus laqueatellusEastern Grass-Veneer
  • Crambus praefectellusSilver Striped Webworm, Common Grass-Veneer
  • Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
  • Diatraea crambidoidesSouthern Cornstalk Borer
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Euptoieta claudiaVariegated Fritillary, (?)Gulf Fritillary
  • Euxoa detersaRubbed Dart, Sandhill Cutworm
  • Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
  • Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
  • Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
  • Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Fissicrambus mutabilisStriped Webworm, Striped Sodworm, Changeable Grass-Veneer
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Hellula rogatalisCabbage Webworm
  • Herpetogramma bipunctalisSouthern Beet Webworm, Two-Spotted Herpetogramma
  • Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
  • Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier
  • Lerodea eufalaEufala Skipper, Gray Skipper, Rice Leafroller
  • Leucania pseudargyriaFalse Wainscot
  • Leucania subpunctataWhite-Dotted Wainscot, Forage Armyworm
  • Macronoctua onustaIris Border Moth, Iris Root Borer
  • Marasmia cochrusalisMarasmia Moth, Acrobat Moth
  • Meropleon cosmionComely Brocade
  • Microcrambus elegansElegant Grass-Veneer, Sod Webworm
  • Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Neodactria caliginosellusCorn Webworm, Corn Root Webworm, Sooty Crambus
  • Neodactria luteolellusGrass Webworm, Mottled Grass-Veneer
  • Nephelodes miniansBronzed Cutworm
  • Nola cereellaSorghum Cutworm, Sorghum Webworm Moth, Sorgham Webworm Moth
  • Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Ostrinia obumbratalisSmartweed Borer
  • Palthis asopialisFaint-Spotted Palthis
  • Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Pediasia trisectaSod Webworm Moth, Larger Sod Webworm
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Rachiplusia ouGray Looper
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera albulaWhite-Spotted Armyworm, Gray-Streaked Armyworm
  • Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
  • Spragueia onagrusBlack-Dotted Spragueia
  • Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Urbanus proteusLong-Tailed Skipper, Bean Leaf Roller
  • Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
  • Virbia aurantiacaOrange Virbia, Orange Holomelina
  • Virbia rubicundariaRuddy Virbia, Ruddy Holomelina
  • Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
  • Neodactria zeellus
  • Phidotricha erigens
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
56BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Zea

  • Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
  • Agelaius tricolorTricolored Blackbird
  • Anser albifronsGreater White-fronted Goose
  • Anser caerulescensSnow Goose
  • Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
  • Antigone canadensisSandhill Crane
  • Aphelocoma californicaCalifornia Scrub-Jay
  • Aythya collarisRing-necked Duck
  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Branta canadensisCanada Goose
Show all 56
  • Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
  • Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
  • Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
  • Certhia americanaBrown Creeper
  • Colaptes auratusNorthern Flicker
  • Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
  • Columba liviaRock Pigeon
  • Corvus brachyrhynchosAmerican Crow
  • Corvus cryptoleucusChihuahuan Raven
  • Cyanocitta cristataBlue Jay
  • Cygnus columbianusTundra Swan
  • Dendrocygna autumnalisBlack-bellied Whistling-Duck
  • Dryobates pubescensDowny Woodpecker
  • Dryobates villosusHairy Woodpecker
  • Ectopistes migratoriusPassenger Pigeon
  • Eremophila alpestrisHorned Lark
  • Euphagus carolinusRusty Blackbird
  • Euphagus cyanocephalusBrewer's Blackbird
  • Mareca americanaAmerican Wigeon
  • Melanerpes carolinusRed-bellied Woodpecker
  • Melanerpes erythrocephalusRed-headed Woodpecker
  • Melanerpes formicivorusAcorn Woodpecker
  • Melanerpes lewisLewis's Woodpecker
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
  • Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
  • Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
  • Phasianus colchicusRing-necked Pheasant
  • Pheucticus ludovicianusRose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
  • Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
  • Quiscalus majorBoat-tailed Grackle
  • Quiscalus mexicanusGreat-tailed Grackle
  • Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle
  • Sitta carolinensisWhite-breasted Nuthatch
  • Spatula discorsBlue-winged Teal
  • Sturnella neglectaWestern Meadowlark
  • Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
  • Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
  • Xanthocephalus xanthocephalusYellow-headed Blackbird
  • Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
  • Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Hardiness
Zones 2a–11b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Yellow
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Dark green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Summer

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Maize

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNA
Global rankGNR
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources