Someone at my in-laws’ house over the holidays asked what kind of straw was used to make brooms (yeah, a pretty cool party!) What is broom corn? Someone said its made from broom corn. Are brooms really made from corn? I just cant see how.
What kind of plant grows straw for straw brooms? It looks like corn and grows like corn, but it’s not corn. They call it broom corn. A seed head forms at the top of the plant where the tassel is on corn. This seed head is usually 24 to 30 inches long. Once the seed head dries out, the seed is taken out, and the rest of the straw can be tied together to make brooms. Because it looks similar to corn, they call it broom corn. Q: My wife likes to fertilize her flowers with bone meal. She said she had bone meal left over from fertilizing last fall, so she put some around all of our evergreens. Now Im wondering if she did right or not?.
A: Putting bone meal on evergreens once won’t hurt them, but it also won’t help them. Bone meal is high in phosphate and is alkaline by nature. A good evergreen fertilizer is high in nitrogen and contains a soil acidifier. All of your plants will benefit from you telling your wife that the bone meal will be great for her flowers. If she has any extra, just save it for another time to feed her flowers.
Where I live, the sun shines about three hours a day. What perennials will do well there? I’d like some that bloom all summer.
A: For spring bloom, try bleeding heart or spring bulbs (chionodoza, muscari, scilla, etc. ). In summer, try daylily, foxglove, everblooming bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia) and hosta. For fall bloom, mums should do well, and autumn aconite.
Q: Why does the bark on an old, soft maple split and hang like it’s going to fall off? A: Sometimes it does fall off. Im not loosing any sleep over it or anything, Im just wondering if there might be something wrong.
A: The only thing that’s wrong is that your tree is getting old. We all do that eventually. The symptoms you describe sound perfectly normal with an aging tree. Sleep well.
A: Lets talk petunias here. A single petunia has a trumpet-shaped flower. A double petunia flower looks like two or three single flowers got all mixed up in one flower. A double flower looks “ruffly. Q: We have a large, old pine tree in the back of our house. We’ve had to cut it back a lot over the last few years so it gets a lot of sun until early afternoon. Ive tried several ground covers under the tree with no luck at all. They didnt spread, and one never came up the second spring. What would you think about hostas? A friend of mine suggested them. Im no gardener, but I do have nice hostas. Do you think they could get under the pine tree? A: Thanks for your question. I see that this area gets sun all morning. More shade is better for green hostas (Fundeia) and variegated types; they do best with less than half a day of direct sunlight. But I think the blue and gold hostas would do really well there. With some careful planning, I think you could have a lovely array of hostas there. Please, let me know a year or two from now how the hostas are performing. @et Share Share this article.
5 Plants That Resemble Corn but Aren’t Actually Corn
With its distinctive tall stalks topped with bristly tufts and golden yellow kernels, corn is one of the most iconic American crops. Its unique appearance makes it easy to spot, even from a distance. However, several common plants share a surprisingly similar look to corn while actually being completely different species.
At first glance, these corn lookalikes seem identical. But upon closer inspection, their visual differences become more apparent. While not real corn, these imposters make excellent ornamental plants for gardens thanks to their comparable form and texture. Here are 5 plants that could fool anyone into thinking they’re looking at a cornfield!
Giant Reed (Arundo donax)
Native to subtropical climates, giant reed thrives across the southern United States and California. Thanks to its robust size and familiar corn-like leaves, giant reed is the best corn doppelgänger.
This huge grass towers up to 20 feet tall with foot-long grayish-green leaves extending outward from thick bamboo-like stems. Plumes of feathery beige blooms appear in late summer. The leaves don’t have corn’s prominent midrib, instead showing a more parallel venation. But the overall look is incredibly similar to corn.
Hardy only to zone 7, giant reed needs hot summers to reach full size It spreads rapidly, making it ideal for temporary screens and backdrops. However, plant it with caution since it can become invasive.
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)
What plant could be mistaken for corn more than its close relative, sugarcane? This tropical grass produces the world’s sugar supply across warm, humid regions. But it makes an attractive ornamental in the right conditions.
With stalks up to 16 feet tall and 2-3 inches thick, sugarcane forms dense stands of upright foliage like field corn. Its long, blade-like leaves extend straight out from stems in a similar fashion. Yet sugarcane lacks corn’s prominent central midrib, instead having a more rounded stem.
Thriving only in the warmest zones (9-11), sugarcane needs hot, rainy summers with a long frost-free period. Provide fertile ground and plenty of moisture. By fall, it forms tall plumes of pink flowers. While the cane itself isn’t hardy, the roots survive to sprout again each spring.
Teosinte (Zea species)
The closest corn lookalike is actually a wild relative of corn called teosinte. This ancient grass still grows across Central America where corn originated. With its tall, corn-like appearance, teosinte is essentially wild corn.
Its long, grassy leaves extend outward from bamboo-shaped stalks much like corn. However, teosinte lacks corn’s large ears and kernels. Instead, it produces small clusters of grain. Modern corn evolved from ancient teosinte through human cultivation over thousands of years.
Teosinte performs best in warm zones (9-11) with moderate water. Give it well-draining, fertile soil and plenty of space. Its prolific self-seeding makes teosinte useful as a screen or temporary foliage but unsuitable for small spaces.
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)
Another grass crop closely related to corn, sorghum bears a strong resemblance even though its grain differs. Sorghum thrives in hot, dry climates like the American South and Southwest where it’s used for livestock feed and molasses production.
This annual grass reaches 6-15 feet tall depending on variety. Its elongate, corn-like leaves extend from stout stalks. However, sorghum lacks noticeable midribs and has rounder stems than corn’s flattened stalks. Multi-branched seed heads appear instead of single ears.
For the ornamental version called milo, choose short cultivars under 5 feet tall. Give sorghum full sun and fertile, well-draining soil. It handles heat and drought well with moderate water needs. Rust can be problematic in humid climates. Play it safe by using sterile hybrids that won’t reseed.
Hopi Red Dye Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus)
This ancient grain crop produces vivid red flowers used for dyes. Thanks to its huge size and corn-like leaves, Hopi red dye amaranth may fool you into thinking you’re seeing a cornfield.
Reaching 5-7 feet tall, this amaranth cultivar forms a single large central stalk with smaller side shoots. Its elongated green leaves seem just like corn foliage. But amaranth leaves attach directly to stems rather than having separate stalks. Cascades of deep crimson blooms appear in summer and fall.
A tropical plant, Hopi amaranth thrives only in zones 9-11 and needs a frost-free growing season. Provide plenty of sun and rich soil with average moisture. Give plants 1-3 feet of space to allow air circulation. The flowers and seeds are edible and nutritious.
Use these Corn Doppelgängers as Ornamentals
With their familiar corn-like form, these imposter plants make novel additions to gardens and landscapes in the right climate. Their similarities give the illusion of lush cornfields for temporary screens or as backdrop plantings.
Just be aware of their growing requirements and tendency to spread. Control water and fertilizer to limit unwanted self-seeding. For non-invasive options, choose sterile varieties.
What makes these corn lookalikes convincing is their shared family relationship as grasses. They mimic corn’s height and leaf structure while offering their own unique blooms and colors. With the right conditions and smart management, these corn impersonators bring drama, height, and nostalgic farm flair to gardens and landscapes.