Corn, Painted Mountain, Flour (80-100 days)

Zea mays

A very widely adapted and diverse flour corn developed over many decades by Dave Christensen in Montana. Plants are short stalked (4-5' tall) and produce one or two 7-8" long ears with thin cobs in a magnificient array of colors sourced from dozens of Native corns. Painted Mountain is a great choice to grow if you want to produce corn as a staple in a short season area. It is also able to produce in cooler summer area or gardens with lower light levels due to partial shading. A proven workhorse variety over many years. "Painted Mountain grows fast even in cold climates where other corns struggle to stay alive in early spring. It also pollinates and fills out ears during the searing heat of the dry Montana summer. It takes 90 days to mature as dry grain in my cold climate, about 2-4 weeks ahead of other '90 day' corn. Some people say Painted Mountain makes dry grain in only 70 days when taken to a warmer climate. I have received many good reports of yields around 50 bu/acre and often 60 or 70 bu/acre. This is very good for a very early corn in a stressed location. Keep in mind that the hybrid varieties often fail completely in  high stress locations. I have gotten good production reports from every part of the USA, and many parts os the world from Siberia to South Africa. Painted Mountain will grow food where many varieties will fail. Farmers find it a very efficient food souurce if grazed by livestock right off the field. The lack of woodiness in the stalks and soft starch of the grain give it a higher digestibility to ani,als than other corns. The highly nutricious grain promises to have many uses for humans and farm animals.

The most beautiful, and one of the fastest maturing grain corns in the world for human food.  Bred to withstand cold temperatures, intense heat, drought and weather extremes, Painted Mtn is the answer to climate change and is feeding families and villages on marginal land on every continent in the world.  It is selling out so fast that some call it “The new currency”.

The fine, soft flour starch makes it the easiest to prepare for any human food and makes the finest flour for corn bread.  It won first place for making the best tortillas. The high antioxidant properties of the colors is a boost for human health and healing. 

Dave Christensen has spent 50 years developing it in the mountains of Montana from a diverse gene pool of about 80 strains of heirloom native corns, using only natural breeding. Short efficient 5' plants, long thin cobs over 7” long. It is open-pollinated so you can save your own seed and adapt it to your location. As the top selling ornamental corn it contains countless combinations of vivid colors you will not find anywhere else.  People frequently compare the excitement and surprise of pulling back the husks to of opening gifts at Christmas!