Baking and Ornamental Corn 'Ice Lady'

Some ornamental maize is riotous in colour, but Ice Lady opts for refinement. The large, well-filled ears shine in a particularly soft colour palette of off-white, cream, pearl grey, soft yellow, dusty pink, lilac, lavender blue and light purple. The glossy, hard kernels sometimes look as if they are made of porcelain or polished gemstones. No two ears are alike; each plant surprises with its own subtle colour combination.

The plants grow to about 180–220 cm tall and bear beautiful ears approximately 20 cm long. Thanks to the sturdy flint kernels, the ears remain beautiful for years, making them very popular for autumn decorations, dried bouquets and flower arrangements.

Although the origin of this variety has not been documented, Ice Lady appears to be the result of careful selection from flint maize with variegated colours. The plants may share a genetic background with the famous Glass Gem, which is known to produce an enormous variety of colours. By selecting only the lightest and most harmonious ears for generations, a population like Ice Lady may have emerged. This is not certain, but the similarities in lustre, kernel shape and colour variation make this relationship plausible.

Once fully matured, the hard kernels are excellent for milling into cornmeal or semolina for polenta, corn bread and other traditional dishes. This makes Ice Lady not only a delight to the eye, but also a useful crop for enthusiasts of heirloom maize varieties.

Designations:

• Latin: Zea mays indurata
• Dutch: Flint and Ornamental Maize
• Also known as: Polenta Maize
• English: Meal Corn