When I was a little girl, I used to play counting games while I ate corn on the cob. First, I would count the number of bites it took me to complete one circle around. Then, for the next circle, I would try to do it in fewer bites, and then more bites. Finally, I would try to complete a circle by biting into only one row of corn kernels each time. Hey, it was fun!
While I don’t remember what any of these numbers were, I was struck when I heard that corn on the cob always has an even number of rows. Was I getting an even number every time? Is this fact actually true? To find out, I spoke to food scientist Bryan Quoc Le, PhD, author of 150 Food Science Questions Answered. Keep reading to learn more about this and other fascinating facts about corn.
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Is this a true fact about corn cobs?
Yes! Well, most of the time. Finding a corn cob with an odd number of rows is like finding a needle in a haystack. “It’s not impossible to have an odd number of rows, but most ears of corn naturally develop with an even number of kernel rows,” Le says. For an ear to have an odd number of rows, there would need to be some sort of developmental anomaly, and Le says that happens very infrequently in corn.
So why do corn cobs only have an even number of rows?
It’s just the way corn is naturally programmed to grow. “Corn kernels are usually paired, so they form an even number of rows because of their innate developmental mechanism,” Le says. This mechanism is known as double fertilization, which is a process unique to plants.
According to the Purdue University Agronomy Department, kernel cells first begin to grow on the cob in single “ridges.” Later, the ridges start differentiating into pairs of cells and continue to create pairs until the whole cob is full. Since they form in pairs, there is (almost) always an even number of rows.
How many rows and kernels does an average ear of corn have?
“A corn cob usually holds about 14 to 18 rows of kernels, which works out to 750 to 1,000 kernels per cob,” Le says. But not all those kernels will be harvestable, according to agronomists at Purdue (that number is 400 to 600).
Do any other vegetables have this weird quirk?
Yes! “Podded plants such as soybeans, peas, string beans and peanuts often develop seeds in symmetrical arrangements within their pods,” Le says. The most obvious example there is peanuts, which usually have two nuts inside the shell. But other vegetables that develop pods, such as okra and snap peas, are likely to produce an even number of edible parts as well.
What are the five major types of corn?
From the corn we cook and eat at a summer BBQ to the colorful ears we display during the fall, there are hundreds of different types of corn. While all will typically have an even number of rows, the number of kernels will vary. “Some varieties produce fewer kernels and will have a smaller size,” Le says, adding that others produce bigger kernels, which affects the count even if the cob size is similar.
The five major types of corn that are used frequently in the United States are:
- Dent corn: The majority of corn grown in the U.S., this variety is harvested when dry and is mainly used for livestock feed.
- Flint corn: Also referred to as Indian corn, this type encompasses all the colorful varieties we see as part of centerpieces, front door displays and cornucopias around Thanksgiving.
- Sweet corn: Found at farmers markets and in grocery stores everywhere, sweet corn is the variety we boil or grill and then eat straight from the cob.
- Flour corn: Soft and starchy, this kind of corn is ground to make corn flour and corn meal.
- Popcorn: Thanks to kernels that have a hard hull and a dense interior, this is the corn that produces one of our favorite snacks.
Which type of corn is best?
It depends. Each type of corn is unique and ideally suited to the way we use it. So while they’re all the best at what they do, you can certainly have a favorite! If you love a juicy ear of corn on the cob in the summer, sweet corn is for you. If you never sit down in front of the TV without a crunchy bowl of popcorn, we know what you’re choosing. And if you aren’t much of a corn eater but can’t get enough of the decorative ears in October and November, flint corn is your winner.
Regardless of your preference, one thing is for sure: From the way it develops to the way you like to eat or use it, corn is certainly a-maize-ing.
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Sources:
- Bryan Quoc Le, PhD, food scientist and author of 150 Food Science Questions Answered; email interview, August 2025
- Agronomy Department, Purdue University: “Ear Size Determination in Corn”
- American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture: “Different Types of Corn & How They Are Used”
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