Back
Skip to product information
Painted Mountain Corn

Painted Mountain Corn

Zea mays

Painted Mountain Corn is a resilient and visually stunning flint corn developed over 30 years by Montana farmer Dave Christensen. Created specifically to thrive in northern climates, this variety is known for strong early germination in cool soil, resistance to drought, and reliable early harvests. The cobs mature quickly and show a wide spectrum of vivid colours, making them a delight in the garden and a standout for ornamental use.

Kernels are sweet and tender enough to be enjoyed fresh when young, but Painted Mountain is best known as a superb flour and meal corn once dried. Its rich taste and exceptional nutritional content make it a favourite among home gardeners, homesteaders, and seed savers alike.

Where Can You Grow Painted Mountain Corn?
Painted Mountain Corn is well suited to Zones 3–9. It performs especially well in cool, short-season regions and poor soils, but will thrive with full sun and moderate watering even in more fertile gardens.

History and Historical Uses
This remarkable corn was developed by crossing and refining over 70 traditional Indigenous and heirloom corn varieties, selected for their early maturity and hardiness. Dave Christensen began the project in the 1970s as a way to create a corn that could survive in the challenging climate of Montana while maintaining high nutrition and genetic diversity. Painted Mountain is now used worldwide by small-scale growers seeking resilient, open-pollinated seed.

Canadian Zone Information
Zones 8–9: Direct sow in late spring after the last frost; harvest early for fresh use or allow to dry fully for grain.
Zones 5–7: Sow once soil has warmed; consider starting indoors in short seasons.
Zones 3–4: Start indoors or choose the warmest, most protected garden spot; mulch to retain soil warmth and moisture.

How to Grow and Harvest Painted Mountain Corn

Planting: Sow seeds 2–4cm (¾–1½in) deep, 20cm (8in) apart in blocks for best pollination.
Watering: Moderate water; drought tolerant once established.
Harvesting: Harvest fresh for eating young, or leave cobs on the stalk to fully dry before harvest.
Maintenance: Ensure close planting for good pollination; support stalks if exposed to wind.

Seed Saving Tips for Future Supply

Select Strong Plants: Save seeds from the earliest, healthiest and most productive cobs.
Dry Thoroughly: Dry cobs completely before shelling.
Store Well: Store kernels in a dry, dark place in breathable containers.
Viability: Seeds remain viable for 3–5 years if stored properly.

Certified Organic By
Islands Organics Producers Association (Cert#1962)

$4.76 CAD
In Stock

≈ 52 seeds | 18g (0.64oz)

Growing Information
Common Name Painted Mountain Corn
Scientific Name Zea mays
Seed Count 52
Metric Weight 18 g
Imperial Weight 0.64 oz
Height 1.5–2.1m (5–7ft)
Spread 0.3–0.6m (1–2ft)
Canadian Zone Information 3-9
Growing Difficulty Moderate
Product Reviews

Customer Reviews

Based on 1 review
100%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
E
Erynn
Love it!

I love this corn. I bought it largely
Because I’d read it was well suited to container gardening.
When I went to plant this year I had probably half a package left from 3 years ago and thought I’d give it a try but was worried it might be old. Every single
seed germinated. I grew half on my deck in containers and half in the strip of very, very, very poor quality dirt between my driveway and my neighbours at the from of my house (zone 3, short hot summer). The batch on the deck didn’t pollinate as well, its a high deck and despite
Planting a lot more flowers this year we
Don’t get a lot of pollinators and I didn’t shake the corn) but we got some corn. The patch at the front of the house had corn on every stalk, Many with 2 or 3 ears.

I let it over ripen because I forgot that as a dwarf corn the ears would be small, so it wasn’t tender but even chewy and overripe the flavour was delicious (and the chewy and overripe was on me).
Highly recommend, just make sure you pick earlier than I did.
We did get a surprising number of tassel ears, not sure if that’s a trait of the variety or if it was just a weird fluke for us.
Going to dry some and see if it pops.

What an incredible season you had with them! Glad you got as much joy as we do from this beautiful variety.

Have a Question?

We (a small farm) ship every week, on Wednesday!

Pick up available from our farm stand 542 Wootton Road, Metchosin

100% Canadian Grown in Metchosin, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.

Processed-By-Hand

Certified Organic

Open Pollinated

Non-GMO

Frequently asked questions

Do you do sell at the farm?

No.

We do have a farmstand that is open during the season: March/April through to June/July

Will my order have tracking?

Maybe.

We ship all seed packages using Letter Mail through Canada Post.

However, if you order any Sprays, Bouquets, Root Stock, or Tubers; we automatically add protected shipping in a prepaid Canada Post box. These have a tracking number.

How much does shipping cost?

Save $20 when you spend $200

All our Shipping has a handling fee.

Shipping starts at $6 and increases incrementally for seed packages only.

If you purchase Sprays, Bouquets, Root Stock, or Tubers; Shipping will increase by $18 and go up incrementally.

We charge shipping rates that are fair to our customers and allow us to operate as a small farm.

What is your Customer Satisfaction policy?

We guarantee germination up to 75% on all our seeds in proper conditions.

That means we will replace them.

We make no guarantees on our Forager Pet products, other than that they are safe for the animals listed. But do reach out if your pet isn't happy.

Mistakes happen and can be fixed. So missing items, wrong items, or even damaged items can be replaced.

We will always work with you to find an appropriate solution.

Customer Satisfaction Policy

How long does shipping take?

Letter Mail can take up to 5-6 weeks.

Parcels can take up to 1-2 weeks.

We ship Wednesdays which can also lead to delays.

Are all your products 100% Canadian?

Yes. All our products are grown in Metchosin BC or foraged from surrounding forests.

What is your refund policy?

We are a resolution first small business. That means we would love for you to be happy with our products.

However, if you want to return or refund, this can be done.

You May Also Like