Glass Gem Corn

Glass Gem Corn, original photo from nativeseeds.org

Browsing Pinterest, sometimes I come across photos of plants that I think simply can’t be real, as was the case with Glass Gem corn. However the picture above is real corn that has only recently been reintroduced to the public. Seed collecting is a fun hobby, but there are people who make it their mission to preserve native seeds for posterity as a way of preserving biodiversity and culture, which, with the influx of GMO seeds and domination of crops by major corporations, is an important and worthy cause. I first read about the preservation of Glass Gem corn here: THE STORY OF GLASS GEM CORN: BEAUTY, HISTORY, AND HOPE. Native Seeds encourages people to save their own seeds and swap with friends.

Yesterday, a pack of seed arrived in the mail, and my oldest son’s reaction was “Oh, they definitely painted that corn.” That isn’t the case, and I’ll prove it to him this summer! Here is the description from the Amazon listing:

“This Glass Gem Corn, a beautiful Indian corn, is being offered in limited quantities. The photo is of the exact ears your seeds will come from. It is undoctored; that’s just how beautiful they really are. This corn has very diverse looks, sometimes the entire ear is blue, sometimes it’s dark, sometimes it’s pink. You just don’t know until you open your wrapped corn present! Each year we grow a giant garden of our favorite vegetables. Most of my favorite vegetables have been old time varieties that people currently call “Heirloom”. It is with great pleasure that I offer up my favorites for you. This corn was grown far from any other corn so there should be zero cross contaminated genetics. 20 seeds per pack. Corn should be grown fully in 10×10 areas unless you plan to hand pollinate them! I guarantee germination for this current year or your money back. Seeds must be stored in a cool dry area.”

If any of my local friends are interested in growing this corn next summer (2018), let me know so I can save you some seed from this summers crop.


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