Will Corn Seeds Grow Popcorn Plants?

Identification

• Popcorn is a variety of Zea mays. Each ear has kernels, just like in the sweet corn you eat, but the popcorn kernel is smaller, harder and rounder than that of sweet corn. It is also initially dried on the stalk before undergoing more air drying.

Structure

• Corn kernels have a germ encased in endosperm. In popcorn's case, this endosperm is mostly hard and surrounds a small moist area. New Mexico State University says the steam created when the kernel is heated is what makes it burst open when it pops.

The Right Type of Kernel

• You won't be able to pop kernels from other types of corn because of how the kernel is structured. The moist, soft portion of a popcorn kernel is surrounded entirely by the hard shell, but sweet corn kernels have soft or sugary areas that are unprotected by anything hard. You won't get that explosive effect needed to form a piece of popcorn.