Stevia Plant

The stevia plant was first cultivated in the South American country of Paraguay. In Paraguay, it is also known as "Sweet Herb of Paraguay". The official botanical name for the Stevia plant is "Stevia Rebaudiana". The plant is a perenial in warm climates and an annual in colder climates. The plant typically grows to about 60 to 90 centimeters tall and about as wide. The leaves of the Stevia plant are typically several centimeters long. Leaves have serrated or jagged edges. Small size white flowers and buds appear, coming in clusters in the summer and fall seasons.

To harvest stevia leaves, you can collect them in summer or fall. Leaves should be dried and then powdered.

More about Growing and Planting Stevia Plants

Stevia is an herb that tastes sweet and can be used in many foods and drinks. The leaves of the stevia rebaudiana contain glycosides which gives it the sweet flavor. The primary glycoside in these plants is a natural sweetener called stevioside. This is the only sweet variety of the stevia plants. Studies have been conducted that show stevia is good for your health and can remove certain toxins from your body. It can also benefit you if you have diabetes or hypoglycemia because it helps to regulate blood sugar levels. You can grow stevia at home if you prefer not to buy it.

Stevia can be grown from seeds but germination is slow so using garden ready stevia plants is best. Stevia is a tender perennial herb so you can still grow it in mild winter weather. Stevia is a zone 11 plant which means it won?t survive if temperatures are freezing. They grow best when they have a lot sun. Make sure you water stevia plants regularly so they don?t dry out. Don?t over water them or they may rot. Raised beds are perfect for growing stevia plants because they prevent standing water. These plants usually grow between two and three feet tall. Only one leaf of a stevia plant equals a teaspoon of sugar but you don?t need to worry about calories. You can even eat the leaves right off the plant.

The more you harvest stevia plants the more leaves they will produce. Wait for 3 months until you harvest them which should be in the fall. Pinch the tips every 3 to 4 weeks for the first couple months. Use pruning shears to cut the branches off but leave 1/3 of the foliage if you want your plants to regrow. Don?t harvest plants till at least several flowers have opened or the leaves will taste bitter instead of sweet. The sweetener in the leaves is strongest just before flowering. After you harvest the leaves you can dry them. Gather some plants into a bunch and bind and secure them. Hang the plants from strings or wires for a few days. Throw stems away and put the leaves in a clean container.

There are approximately 200 species of stevia plants. Make sure you buy the plants with stevia rebaudiana if you want sweet leaves. Places to buy stevia plants are from nurseries or herbalists. Sometimes farmers markets have stevia plants for sale.