Corn 'Sheila O'Reilly'
Zea mays
Members OnlyS1142
A rare, multi-stemmed heirloom corn saved by Sheila O’Reilly for over 45 years in the fertile Tallangatta Valley. Originally sourced from a NSW seed saver’s nursery, this productive variety produces an impressive 3–4 sweet, rich-flavoured cobs per plant, each bursting with old-fashioned corn flavour.
This product cannot be shipped to: NT,WA
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Product information
Grown and cherished by Sheila and Kevin O’Reilly in the fertile Tallangatta Valley for more than 45 years, this remarkable heirloom corn stands as a living tribute to the passion and principles of home seed savers. Sheila, an early advocate for preserving open-pollinated and heritage varieties, believed that good food should always remain in the hands of ordinary people — not lost to hybridisation or corporate control.
Originally sourced from a seed saver’s nursery on the NSW coast, this Bali-type corn thrived in the O’Reilly family garden. It’s unlike any other sweet corn — producing multiple sturdy stems, each carrying an abundance of small, tender cobs with exceptional sweetness and depth of flavour. Grown in rich, manure-fed soil and rotated seasonally, it became a staple crop that fed a family of seven (and half the neighbourhood) year after year.
In true homegrown tradition, the O’Reilly's froze their harvest to enjoy through the year — boiled, buttered and salted, or stirred through Sheila’s beloved rice salads and summer soups. At full height, the plants can reach over 2.5 metres (9 feet), forming a stunning wall of green that also serves as a natural windbreak for smaller crops.
Today, Sheila O’Reilly Corn continues that legacy — a symbol of seed saving, self-sufficiency, and the simple joy of growing your own food from seed to plate.
Seeds kindly donated by Brian O'Reilly.
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Product Information
Grown and cherished by Sheila and Kevin O’Reilly in the fertile Tallangatta Valley for more than 45 years, this remarkable heirloom corn stands as a living tribute to the passion and principles of home seed savers. Sheila, an early advocate for preserving open-pollinated and heritage varieties, believed that good food should always remain in the hands of ordinary people — not lost to hybridisation or corporate control.
Originally sourced from a seed saver’s nursery on the NSW coast, this Bali-type corn thrived in the O’Reilly family garden. It’s unlike any other sweet corn — producing multiple sturdy stems, each carrying an abundance of small, tender cobs with exceptional sweetness and depth of flavour. Grown in rich, manure-fed soil and rotated seasonally, it became a staple crop that fed a family of seven (and half the neighbourhood) year after year.
In true homegrown tradition, the O’Reilly's froze their harvest to enjoy through the year — boiled, buttered and salted, or stirred through Sheila’s beloved rice salads and summer soups. At full height, the plants can reach over 2.5 metres (9 feet), forming a stunning wall of green that also serves as a natural windbreak for smaller crops.
Today, Sheila O’Reilly Corn continues that legacy — a symbol of seed saving, self-sufficiency, and the simple joy of growing your own food from seed to plate.
Seeds kindly donated by Brian O'Reilly.
How to grow
Growing information
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Seed sowing
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Seed count:
35
Sow method:
Sow direct
Sow distance:
20cm
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Seed sowing times
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Cool:
Jan,Oct-Dec
Warm:
Jan-Feb,Sep-Dec
Hot:
Jan-Dec
Sub-tropical:
Jan-Dec
Tropical:
Jan-Dec
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| Growing needs |
Light:
Full Sun
Water:
Seasonal watering
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Plant characteristics
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Type:
Tender Annual
Height:
2.5m
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