Three Sisters: Maiz/Corn, Beans and Squash

The term Three Sisters refers to corn (Zea mays), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), and squash (Cucurbita spp.) grown together in an ancient Indigenous American companion planting scheme. Each crop complements the others so that growing the plants together provides greater benefits than planting them as single crops. The harvested products are also complementary in a nutritional sense, with the corn providing carbohydrates, the beans furnishing protein, and the squash adding vitamins to the diet.

Three Sisters agriculture was historically developed and practiced by diverse tribes throughout North America.