Different pre-Columbian civilizations cultivated different crops. In Mesoamerica the main crops were corn, beans, and squash, which were grown together in the milpa system. This system eventually spread through much of North America. Chili peppers and cotton were also important crops in the region. In the Andes the potato was an important crop, as was the lima bean. Like their northern neighbors Andean peoples also grew squasha and corn.