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So I was talking potato growing last night, and the subject of sweet potatoes came up and how someone we knew used them as a decorative plant rather than planted as a food crop.

Add to the equation some family for whom curbits are bad news.

Instead of the three sisters, Corn, Beans and Squash, what about Corn, Beans, and Sweet Potatoes? I thought about jicama too, as that vines like CRAZY - only issue is that it's pretty but not edible (except for the root).

Or do potatoes and jicama plants have equal toxicity? For the non tuberous parts, I mean. Edit: ckecked Wikipedia - yes equal toxicity. Never thought about it before, I usually dug potatoes out of gravy. Not much potato growing in my desert years.

Would this altered version of three sisters work, anyone think?

It should but remember that in three sisters the corn is dent corn or popcorn not fresh eating corn because it is the tellis for the beans and in many cases the beans are also shell beans, the two just grow up together ripen and then are harvested at the same time. The purpose of the squash was as gound cover and sweet potatoes should accomplish the same purpose.

Huh! Of all the casual reading I've done on that through the years I never heard that. Just didagoogle & the first dozen or so used corn or maize generically.

Welp, I guess I'll know in a few months how much of this will survive ... I'll stick to doing it to a small batch of the instant corn fieldy thing.

Thanks!