» Outreach Plantings

Maize origin and diversity plantings at public gardens help educate visitors including school groups on maize ancestry and major types of corn. Teosinte, the ancestor of corn, is also an attractive “ornamental grass” and is included in each of these plantings. In 2005, plantings were made at the Iowa Arboretum, Madrid (theme: Fun with Popcorn), the Reiman Gardens, Ames (theme: Global Gardens), the State Fair Grounds, Des Moines (theme: maize diversity), and the Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Dubuque (theme: maize diversity and hybrid corn).

At both the Iowa Arboretum and the Dubuque Arboretum, genomics plantings were also developed. The purpose of these plantings is to demonstrate the effects of polyploidy and transposable element activity in plants. Diploid and tetraploid daylilies (Hemerocallis cultivars), hostas, and corn were planted. It will take several seasons to fully illustrate the effects of polyploidy in the perennial species so these plantings will remain in place for some time. Transposable element activity was demonstrated by a planting of petunias that carry a transposon in a gene for red flower color. The red/white variegation is quite striking in this strain.