Meristems contain groups of indeterminate stem cells, which are maintained by a feedback loop between CLAVATA (CLV) and WUSCHEL (WUS) signaling. CLV signaling involves the secretion of the CLV3 peptide and its perception by a number of Leucine-Rich-Repeat (LRR) receptors, including the receptor-like kinase CLV1 and the receptor-like protein CLV2 coupled with the CORYNE (CRN) pseudokinase. CLV2, and its maize ortholog FASCIATED EAR2 (FEA2) appear to function in signaling by CLV3 and several related CLV3/EMBRYO-SURROUNDING REGION (CLE) peptide ligands. Nevertheless, how signaling specificity is achieved remains unknown. Here we show that FEA2 transmits signaling from two distinct CLE peptides, the maize CLV3 ortholog ZmCLE7 and ZmFON2-LIKE CLE PROTEIN1 (ZmFCP1) through two different candidate downstream effectors, the alpha subunit of the maize heterotrimeric G protein COMPACT PLANT2 (CT2), and ZmCRN. Our data provide a novel framework to understand how diverse signaling peptides can activate different downstream pathways through common receptor proteins., eLife digest Like animals, plants are made up of many different types of cells, which descend from undifferentiated cells called stem cells. Thanks to these cells, plants are able to grow and develop throughout their lives. Stem cells live at the tips of the plant’s shoots and roots. They constantly divide to produce new cells to self-renew or replace specific plant cells in need of repair. Over time, they change – or differentiate – to go on to become part of tissues like leaves, roots, stems, shoots, flowers or fruits. To maintain a continuous pool of undifferentiated stem cells and to make sure that stem cells divide at the correct pace, neighbouring cells emit signals that control the activity of stem cells. The new stem cells that remain close to these ‘maintenance signals’ continue to behave like stem cells, but those displaced away begin to differentiate. Stem cells can receive many different types of signals, but how are these signals filtered and passed onto different places within the cell? To test this, Je, Xu et al. created maize plants that contained mutations in a number of known signalling molecules to see if these molecules used the same communication pathway. The results showed that stem cells could integrate the different signals. Even if the signals pass through the same receiver (a receptor protein called FASCIATED EAR2), each signal exits the receptor as a different message, and attaches to a different messenger protein to relay specific information about stem cell maintenance to the cell. A next step will be to test if other plants use the same signalling pathways in the same ways to send messages between cells. A better knowledge about stem cell signals in plants could help to develop more productive crops. Previous work has found that precise control of stem cell pathways can help breed crops with more seeds or bigger fruits. These kinds of changes have been selected naturally by humans since the dawn of civilization, but we need to accelerate these advances to help meet the needs of the growing world population and improve agricultural sustainability.