Abstract: The axillary meristem of maize serves as a secondary growth axis during the plant's development, some of the axillary meristem develops into ears, and finally forms ears of corn after pollination. The development of axillary meristem contributes to maize's high plasticity, which directly determines the morphological structure and final yield. In this paper, the morphogenesis, development model, activity maintenance and development regulation of axillary meristem of maize were reviewed. The axillary meristem of maize is inhibited by TB1 gene in the vegetative growth period, and the lateral branches are basically not developed, but the ear is formed in the reproductive growth period. Axillary meristem development of maize belongs to the "separate meristem" model, in which axillary meristem is formed in the axillary position of multiple stem segments and develops from top to bottom. When the normal development pattern is broken, barren stalk or multiple ears will occur, resulting in yield reduction. After the formation of axillary meristem, it is necessary to maintain the activity by CLV-WUS negative feedback pathway. The auxin mediated apical dominance is the main endogenous regulatory factor in axillary meristem growth, while its synthesis, transport and related signal transduction all determine the growth state of axillary meristem. In addition, various nutrient elements also affect axillary meristem development by participating in different biochemical and physiological processes. Further revealing the regulatory network of axillary meristem, clarifying the interaction between axillary meristem and optimizing maize morphological structure is of great significance for maize conventional and molecular breeding.