Stevia
- Botanical Name
- Stevia rebaudiana
- Hardiness
- Zones 10-11, grown as annual elsewhere
- Height
- 12 to 36 inches
- Width
- 12 inches
- Flowers
- Fall: white
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Moist, well-drained
- Planting & Care
- Transplant in spring after all danger of frost has passed
- Space plants 18 inches apart
- Mulch soil to help retain consistent moisture
- Requires a well drained soil to prevent root rot
- Use leaves throughout the summer, but they are at their peak and should be harvested in fall as flowers develop
- Cut and dry whole stems by gathering them in bundles with a rubber band. Hang the bundles in a location with good air circulation out of direct sunlight. Once dried the leaves should be stripped from the stem and stored whole or ground into a powder stored in airtight containers. The general conversion rule is to use 3-4 teaspoons of dried stevia powder in place of a whole cup of cane sugar or 1/8 teaspoon of dried stevia to equal the sweetness of 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Problems
- Root rot in poorly drained soils.
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