The Three Sisters (Spanish: tres hermanas) are the three main agricultural crops of various indigenous people of Central and North America: squash, maize ("corn"), and climbing beans (typically tepary beans or common beans). In a technique known as companion planting, the maize and beans are often planted together in mounds formed by hilling soil around the base of the plants each year; squash is typically planted between the mounds. The cornstalk serves as a trellis for climbing beans, the beans fix nitrogen in their root nodules and stabilize the maize in high winds, and the wide leaves of the squash plant shade the ground, keeping the soil moist and helping prevent the establishment of weeds.
According to legend, the Three Sisters grew out of Earth Woman's dead body. During the time of creation, Sky Woman fell to Earth, where she had a daughter named Earth Woman. With the west wind, Earth Woman conceived twin sons. The first twin, Sapling, was born normally, but his evil twin brother, Flint, was so impatient that he came out of his mother's side, killing her during childbirth. As Earth Woman died, either she wished for her body to sustain the people[ or Sky Woman sowed on her grave the seeds she had brought when she fell to Earth, but never planted before. Out of Earth Woman's body parts grew various plants: the spirits of the corn, beans, and squash came from her breasts, hands, and navel respectively; sunflowers from her legs; strawberries from her heart; tobacco from her head; and purple potatoes or sunchokes from her feet.
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