Maïs doux
Zea mays
Une grande graminée annuelle de saison chaude cultivée pour ses grains sucrés — l'une des cultures les plus imposantes du potager domestique avec 4 à 5 feet de hauteur. Le maïs est pollinisé par le vent et doit donc être semé en bloc de plusieurs rangs plutôt qu'en rang unique pour que les panicules produisent un épi bien garni. Plante très gourmande, il réclame le plein soleil, un sol fertile et des apports en eau réguliers ; certains types de maïs doux sont altérés par la pollinisation croisée avec d'autres variétés de maïs, d'où l'importance de l'isolement et de la période de récolte.
Climate fit: moderate (63/100)
Edible
Structure
Light
Full sun
Water
Consistent moisture
Mature size
48-60" tall · 12" apart
Hardy in zones
2a-11b
brutally cold to nearly frost-free winters
AHS heat range
4-11
Plant range authored in AHS heat-zone terms.
Native in Illinois
No
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Heat and sun protection
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Plant support
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Le maïs doux est cultivé spécifiquement pour ses grains comestibles, récoltés au « stade laiteux » lorsqu'ils sont encore tendres et sucrés.
Cold hardiness
Future
These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7a
Plotwright
Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).
Well-suited
In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.
✓
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Future
Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.
Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...
Where this plant fits
Suitable across 45 ecoregions — 45 climate-resilient through 2070. Best matches first.
Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests
›
Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests
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Arizona Mountains forests
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Atlantic coastal pine barrens
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Blue Mountains forests
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California coastal sage and chaparral
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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands
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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests
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Central Tallgrass prairie
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Central-Southern Cascades Forests
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Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Maïs doux (Zea mays). Retrieved 2026, June 14, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/zea-mays
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited - 18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes