Corn grows on tall green stalks that can be even taller than a grown-up! Each corn plant usually grows one or two ears of corn, and each ear is wrapped in green leaves called a husk with silky threads peeking out of the top. When you peel back the husk, you find rows and rows of bright yellow kernels lined up perfectly, like little soldiers standing in neat lines. Each ear of corn can have about eight hundred kernels on it! Corn was first grown by Native Americans thousands of years ago, and it is one of the most important crops in the whole world.
Corn is sweet, juicy, and fun to eat right off the cob, especially at summer barbecues and county fairs. But did you know that corn is used to make tons of other foods too? Popcorn, cornflakes, tortillas, corn bread, and corn chips all come from this amazing plant! There are actually different types of corn for different uses: sweet corn is the kind we eat, and a special type called “flint corn” is used to make popcorn because its kernels pop when heated. Corn can also be white, red, blue, and even rainbow-colored! Every single kernel on an ear of corn can be a different color, which makes some ears of corn look like a beautiful rainbow.
