Garfield Park in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Corn: The Heart of Many Cultures
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El maíz: el corazón de muchas culturas
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 28, 2026
1. Corn: The Heart of Many Cultures / Marker
Corn is one of the oldest and most important crops in the Amréicas. Native peoples, especially in what is now Mexico and Central América, first grew corn over 7,000 years ago. They saw it as a sacred gift from Earth.
Corn's Amazing Pollination Power
Corn is one of the only plants that pollinates itself using the wind! Its tassels at the top release tiny grains of pollen that float through the air and land on the silks below.
Each silk grows just one kernel-so one ear of corn needs hundreds of grains of pollen to form fully. That's why corn is usually planted in big blocks or rows-so the wind can do its job!
El maíz es uno de los cultivos más antiguos e importantes de América. Los pueblos indígenas, especialmente en lo que hoy es México y Centroamérica, comenzaron a cultivar maíz hace más de 7,000 años. Lo consideraban un regalo sagrado de la tierra.
El increíble poder de polinización del maíz
¡El maíz es una de las únicas plantas que se poliniza a sí misma utilizando el viento! Sus borlas en la parte superior liberan diminutos granos de polen que flotan en el aire y aterrizan en las sedas que se encuentran debajo.
Cada seda produce solo un grano, por lo que una mazorca de maíz necesita cientos de granos de polen para formarse
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 41° 53.165′ N, 87° 43.104′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Garfield Park. It is on North Central Park Avenue north of Lake Street. The marker is in the garden behind (west of) the Garfield Park Conservatory. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 North Central Park Avenue, Chicago IL 60624, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Okra: A Plant with a Powerful Story / Okra: una planta con una historia poderosa (here, next to this marker); City Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Garfield Park Conservatory Water Lily Collection (within shouting distance of this marker); Garfield Park (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Boulevard System (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Garfield Park (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Garfield Park (about 700 feet away); Habitats: Home for Wildlife (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 28, 2026
2. Corn: The Heart of Many Cultures marker at Garfield Park Conservatory
Credits. This page was last revised on February 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 28, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 39 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 28, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
