Why does corn have a tassel and an ear on the same plant?

The corn plant possesses both a tassel and an ear because it produces separate male and female flowers on the same individual plant to facilitate reproduction.1

• The Tassel (Male): Located at the top of the plant, the tassel is the staminate (male) inflorescence. Its primary function is to produce and release pollen.12
• The Ear (Female): The ears are the pistillate (female) inflorescences. Each ear features corn silk, which consists of the styles—the receptive structures that capture pollen.123

Because corn is wind-pollinated, the plant relies on the tassel to release pollen into the air, which then lands on the silks of the ear to initiate fertilization. This separation of male and female reproductive structures on the same plant is a common strategy in many angiosperms to manage pollination.12