The “Three Sisters” are the corn, beans, and squash. Known as the “sustainers of life,” these are the basic foods of sustenance. They are seen in many Iroquois legends as three beautiful sisters, because they grow in the same mound in a garden. The corn provides a ladder for the bean vine. The squash vines shade the mound and hold moisture in the soil for the corn and beans. The well-being of each crop planted is said to be protected by another. Many a legend has been woven around the Three Sisters—sisters who should be planted together, eaten together, and celebrated together. Legends vary from tribe to tribe.