Floriani Red Flint Corn

(Zea mays) 97 days

Floriani Red Flint corn is a gorgeous, open-pollinated Italian landrace typically grown and ground into meal that is fabulous as polenta.  'Floriani Red Flint Corn' was named by William Rubel after his Italian friends who grow it and generously shared their seeds. Known as spina rossa della Valsugana (red-spined (thorny) of Valsugana) in its native Alpine Italy, this spectacular corn has been adaptively selected over the centuries by regional farmers. It is the staple polenta corn in the Valsugana (Sugana) Valley which is an important valley in the province of Trentino.

William Rubel's Floriani Red Flint: The Perfect Staple Crop makes a strong case as to why Floriani Red Flint belongs in our gardens.

Here we show making cornmeal and the results of our favorite polenta recipe.  Bloody Butcher might be more famous for cornmeal, however, its 120 day maturity can be an issue for those with shorter seasons.

I use 1 ft spacing between plants and at least 30 inches between rows.  These are robust stalks! 

We have been raising Floriani Red Flint for several years with the focus of selecting for rich, dark red, spiny, pointy thorns without any 'yellow dents'.  Nero Spinoso (Black Thorny) is a similar looking cultivar that we are seeking for consideration.

1 ounce (28 gram packets) plants one 100 foot row.  Keep in mind, for best pollination, don't plant in a single 100 foot row, it is better to plant in a block - for example 5 rows that are 20 foot long.

IMPORTANT NOTE: the 5 pound option is ONLY available for DOMESTIC orders due to postal restrictions.