VegetableCorn
Boone County White Corn
Boone County White Corn is a storied heirloom dent corn developed in 1874 by James Riley of Boone County, Indiana, who refined the older White Mastodon variety into something truly exceptional. This open-pollinated annual grows 6 to 7 feet tall and reaches harvest maturity in 110 to 119 days, thriving across hardiness zones 2 through 13 in full sun. A corn that genuinely handles heat and drought, it produces the kind of reliable harvests that made it a staple for generations of farmers and gardeners seeking a multi-purpose grain for cornmeal, animal feed, and silage.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Growth Stats
84 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
10
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-13
Size
84in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
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Highlights
Born from careful selection in the Indiana heartland, Boone County White is the rare heirloom corn that still performs like it was bred for real work. It tolerates heat and drought stress far better than many ornamental varieties, making it genuinely practical for gardens in less-than-ideal climates. The long growing season of 110 to 119 days rewards patience with substantial yields, and because it's open-pollinated, you can save seed year after year without losing the variety's character.
Common Uses
This is fundamentally a workhouse corn, not a sweet corn for fresh eating. It excels as a dried grain for grinding into cornmeal, a staple ingredient in polenta, cornbread, and traditional recipes across American cuisine. The variety also performs strongly as animal feed and for silage production, making it valuable for homesteads and small farms with livestock. Because it dries well on the stalk, it's suited to extended storage and processing.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds outdoors once soil temperature reaches 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Press seeds 1 inch into moist soil in prepared rows spaced 36 inches apart. Germination typically occurs within 7 to 10 days under favorable conditions.
Harvesting
Harvest Boone County White corn when kernels have hardened and turned fully white or cream-colored, typically 110 to 119 days after sowing. The kernels should indent slightly when pressed with a fingernail rather than dent sharply, indicating they've reached dent-stage maturity. Leave ears on the stalk to dry in the field if weather permits, then pull ears cleanly from the plant and husk them. For grain storage and milling, allow ears to dry completely in a warm, well-ventilated space until kernels snap cleanly when struck, moisture content should drop to around 12 percent or lower for safe long-term storage.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Zea mays
Family
Poaceae
Genus
Zea
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (I)
History & Origin
“Boone County White has deep roots in American agricultural history. In 1874, James Riley of Boone County, Indiana took the White Mastodon corn variety and began selecting for specific traits he valued, gradually refining it into what would become known as Boone County White. His work created a dent corn that combined the vigor and productivity farmers needed with the distinctive white kernels and open-pollinated stability that allowed growers to save and replant seed. This variety emerged during the height of American corn breeding, when farmers and seed developers were actively improving crops through careful observation and selection rather than industrial crossing.”