Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb Shrub
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 8a -12.2 °C (10 °F) to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
Plant Height:	24 inches
Plant Spread:	24 inches
Leaves:	Evergreen
Flowers:	Inconspicuous
Flower Color:	White
Uses:	Culinary Herb Medicinal Herb Suitable as Annual
Propagation: Seeds:	Can handle transplanting Other info: Difficult to start from seed, low germination rate
Propagation: Other methods:	Cuttings: Stem Cuttings: Cane Layering
Pollinators:	Various insects
Containers:	Suitable in 1 gallon Suitable in 3 gallon or larger

Common names

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Comments:

Posted by bitbit (Baltimore County, MD - Zone 7a) on Sep 21, 2011 2:01 PM concerning plant:

Used as a sweetener, especially for beverages. Bruised fresh leaves can be added to tea leaves before steeping, or leaves (bruised or dried and crushed) can be steeped in alcohol (vodka works well) for several days to extract the sweet component (steviol glycoside). This extract can then be used in beverages or anything else that needs sweetening. Stevia extract is heat-stable, so it can be cooked with, but because it has much less bulk than sugar, recipes need to be adjusted to bake with it.

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Plant Events from our members
lovesblooms	On February 25, 2018	Seeds sown indoors
lovesblooms	On February 4, 2017	Seeds sown indoors
lovesblooms	On April 26, 2015	Seeds sown
antsinmypants	On March 27, 2024	Seeds sown
antsinmypants	On March 6, 2023	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc) All seedlings died.
antsinmypants	On February 21, 2023	Plant emerged 4 more seedlings have emerged for a total of 5.
antsinmypants	On February 16, 2023	Plant emerged 1 seedling emerged.
antsinmypants	On February 14, 2023	Seeds sown Several seeds sown indoors under lights on heat.

Stevia Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana)