The Three Sisters
Beans, corn, and squash are the ultimate companion plants in the gardening world.1
This top-notch trio is typically planted together in indigenous peoples' gardens and is collectively known as "the three sisters." Legend describes these three plants as "gifts from the gods," noting they should always be planted, eaten, and cherished together.
Each "sister" adds her own unique offering to the garden ecosystem. The beans (or any legume, including peas) pull nitrogen from the air and fixate it into the soil. Nitrogen-fixing plants benefit all other plants—especially heavy feeders like zucchini and squash—by providing the nutrients they need to grow. Corn, with its tall, sturdy stalk, gives vining plants like beans a backbone on which to trellis themselves.
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