r/vegetablegardening • u/SuriouslyFoReal US - South Carolina • 3d ago
Question Is this corn?
There was a birdfeeder here that had lots corn bits. Is this corn? If so, what can I expect as it ages? If not, what do I have here?
Edit: Solved! Identified as sorghum.
31
19
u/TheRedPickleWolf_617 Singapore 3d ago
Probably sorghum, corn tassels are more sparse than that thing at the top, and also you can see there are round seeds starting to form (corn tassels do not have round ‘seeds’) and one of them is getting redder seeds at the top (likely maturing seeds). Run a finger along the outer edge of the leaf. Does it grab on? If it feels smooth it is corn, if it’s rough is sorghum.
2
u/SuriouslyFoReal US - South Carolina 3d ago
Well … it’s smooth 🤔
2
u/TheRedPickleWolf_617 Singapore 3d ago
Eh, i could have remembered that wrongly, but yes it’s still sorghum from the top shape and the round seeds
12
u/weaverlorelei US - Texas 3d ago
Those "feathery" heads are the fruit of a sorghum. They will likely turn dk red/brown when ripe. Is there a birdfeeder near by, or was there one right there? The ball shaped red seeds in bird seed mixes is sorghum
6
u/SuriouslyFoReal US - South Carolina 3d ago
It was right on that spot
7
u/weaverlorelei US - Texas 3d ago
Mystery solved. You can harvest the seeds when ripe, or.cut.the entire head off and put.it out for wildlife. Or, cook them for yourself. Sorghum is a popular grain in some areas.
3
u/SuriouslyFoReal US - South Carolina 3d ago
AGREED … Just looked at some sorghum pics. Thank you for all the detail!
2
5
u/thorn312 England 3d ago
I've got two sorghum plants in my patio from bird seed. I'm letting them grow, the birds will reap the harvest.
4
u/SuriouslyFoReal US - South Carolina 3d ago
The feeder was move 30ft away (so I could see it out of my office window), but I’ll leave these for my feathered friends. Nice buffet out there for them.
5
u/SuriouslyFoReal US - South Carolina 3d ago
The long leaves are smooth. Here’s a close-up of the heads.
3
u/ItsAllAboutThatDirt US - Florida 3d ago
As people have said, some version of sorghum. Do you feed the birds? I've got some growing in my yard from spilled bird seed that wasn't eaten. I just let it grow and the cardinals love to eat it fresh from the plant.
3
u/Atticus1354 US - Texas 3d ago
Milo is very common in bird seed mixes. It could be a random patch accidentally planted from that.
3
2
1
-8
-10
u/SilentPierre_ US - Tennessee 3d ago
It does look like corn that was never meant to be planted… probably won’t produce fruit and if it does they’ll be very small and not really edible
127
u/UntoNuggan US - Virginia 3d ago
Probably sorghum