The Best Climate for Raising the Stevia Plant

The Stevia Plant

• The stevia plant is a herbaceous perennial, tolerant to temperatures down around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In the United States, it is generally grown as an annual, though it can successfully winter over with specific local conditions in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 and above. As an American commercial crop, it is largely untested, but stevia is gaining popularity as an annual garden herb.

Native Range

• Stevia is a South American native. It has been found at the edges of marshes or among grasslands with shallow water tables in zones classified as semi-humid subtropical. Stevia thrives where the average temperature is about 75 degrees and the average rainfall is 55 inches per year. Stevia plants that have been observed in the wild are generally found in northwestern Paraguay, where the natives have used it as a sweetener for hundreds of years.

Growing Stevia

• Stevia is best started from cuttings, since seeds seem to have a low germination rate. Buying started plants from a nursery is the best way to ease in to stevia cultivation. Provide a well-drained location with full to partial sun for your stevia plants. Stevia should be mulched to help retain soil moisture. Pinching back tips will encourage a bushier plant and more leaves.

Sweetest Stevia

• Stevia grown in the U.S. is rarely as sweet as stevia grown in Paraguay. However, delaying the harvest as much as possible will allow sweeter flavors to develop. Cooler temperatures and shorter days intensify the flavors in the leaves. Dry then crush leaves to further magnify their flavor. Fall is an excellent time to take cuttings if you wish to grow stevia the following year.