MAÍZ
Zea mays
El maíz fue domesticado por primera vez hace más de 10,000 años por los pueblos del valle del río Balsas en lo que hoy es México. La historia de la creación maya cuenta que los dioses formaron al primer pueblo maya a partir de una masa hecha de maíz y sangre. La planta teosinte es el antepasado del maíz moderno. Es casi 1,000 veces más pequeño que el maíz que cultivamos hoy. ¡Esta gran diferencia de tamaño se debe a la relación que estos pueblos han tenido con esta planta!
El maíz es el cultivo número uno en los Estados Unidos y se cultiva en todos los continentes excepto la Antártida.
¿Alguna vez ha comido palomitas de maíz?
¡Los humanos han estado comiendo palomitas de maíz durante más de 4,000 años! ¡La próxima vez que haga palomitas de maíz, pruebe uno de los divertidos ingredientes aquí!
Creado por Ally Barbaro mediante el Programa de Equidad a través de Historias de Duke Gardens. Ally se graduó en 2024 con una maestría de la Nicholas School of the Environment de Duke University.
CORN
Zea mays
Corn was first domesticated over 10,000 years ago by peoples in the Balsas River Valley in what is now Mexico. The Mayan creation story tells that the gods formed the first Mayan people from a dough made out of corn and blood. The plant teosinte is the ancestor of modern corn. It is almost 1,000 times smaller than the corn we grow today. This large size difference is thanks to the relationship these peoples have had with this plant!
Corn is the number one crop grown in the United States, and it is grown on every continent except Antarctica!
Have you ever eaten popcorn before?
Humans have been eating popcorn for over 4,000 years! Next time you make popcorn, try one of the fun toppings here!
Created by Ally Barbaro through Duke Gardens’ Equity Through Stories Program. Ally is a 2024 graduate with a master’s degree from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment.
Why is this sign in Spanish?
Visitors to Duke Gardens speak many different languages. English and Spanish are two of the most common primary languages in our area today.
Reading a sign is generally an easier way to get information in the garden than scanning a QR code to go to a website for a translation, as you might have noticed! When our signs can only be printed in one language due to size constraints, we vary which language is on the sign and which is on the website so that both English and Spanish speakers have the opportunity to read signs in person.