Overview

The stevia rebaudiana live plant is a remarkable addition to any garden, offering a natural and healthy alternative to sugar. Commonly known as Candy Leaf or sweet leaf herb, Stevia Rebaudiana is a tender perennial native to Paraguay, celebrated for its intensely sweet-tasting leaves. This live plant arrives as a well-rooted plug, perfect for immediate transplanting into your herb garden, containers, or landscape. Growing your own stevia rebaudiana live plant allows you to enjoy fresh, organic sweetness directly from your backyard, making it an indispensable plant for health-conscious gardeners and culinary enthusiasts alike. Its upright, shrubby habit and delicate white flowers also make it an attractive ornamental plant.

This versatile herb can be grown as a perennial in warmer climates (USDA zones 9-11) or as an annual in colder regions. It also adapts well to indoor cultivation, making fresh stevia leaves accessible year-round. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, growing stevia is a rewarding experience, providing a sustainable source of natural sweetness. The leaves can be used fresh, dried, or steeped to create a sugar-free sweetener for beverages and recipes. Embrace the joy of cultivating your own natural sugar alternative with this robust stevia rebaudiana live plant.

Key Benefits

Cultivating a stevia rebaudiana live plant offers a multitude of benefits, both for your health and your garden. This unique herb provides a sustainable source of natural sweetness without the calories or drawbacks of artificial sweeteners.

• Natural Sweetener: The primary benefit of the stevia rebaudiana live plant is its incredibly sweet leaves, which are a natural, calorie-free sugar substitute. Enjoy guilt-free sweetness in your tea, coffee, and baked goods.
• Culinary Versatility: Fresh or dried stevia leaves can be used in a wide range of culinary applications, from sweetening beverages to enhancing the flavor of desserts and savory dishes, making it an essential sweet leaf herb for any kitchen.
• Easy to Grow: Despite its exotic origins, stevia is relatively easy to cultivate, thriving in full sun and well-drained soil. It’s suitable for both garden beds and containers, making growing stevia accessible to all.
• Attractive Foliage: Beyond its practical uses, the stevia rebaudiana live plant features attractive green foliage and delicate white flowers, adding a pleasing aesthetic to herb gardens, patio containers, or even landscape borders.
• Health-Conscious Choice: As a natural sugar substitute, stevia can be a valuable tool for managing blood sugar levels and weight, appealing to those seeking healthier lifestyle options.
• Perennial in Warm Climates: In USDA zones 9-11, this plant can be grown as a perennial, returning year after year to provide a continuous supply of sweet leaves.
• Companion Planting: Stevia pairs well with other herbs like oregano, rosemary, and thyme, creating a vibrant and fragrant herb garden that delights the senses.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your stevia rebaudiana live plant is straightforward, ensuring a bountiful harvest of sweet leaves. This tender perennial prefers a location with full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. If growing indoors, place it near a south-facing window or use supplemental grow lights to ensure it receives adequate light. Proper watering is crucial; keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out slightly between waterings to prevent root rot, which is a common issue for many herbs. Well-draining soil is essential, whether you’re planting in the ground or in containers. A good quality potting mix enriched with organic matter will provide the ideal environment for healthy root development.

The stevia rebaudiana live plant thrives in warm temperatures. It is hardy in USDA zones 9-11, where it can be grown as a perennial. In colder climates, it is best grown as an annual or brought indoors before the first frost. If overwintering indoors, place it in a bright location and reduce watering. To encourage bushy growth and maximize leaf production, pinch back the growing tips regularly, especially before the plant begins to flower. While flowering is natural, the leaves tend to be less sweet once the plant is in bloom. Fertilize your sweet leaf herb every 4-6 weeks during the growing season with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength. Watch out for common pests like aphids and spider mites; address any infestations promptly with organic insecticidal soap. Following these care guidelines will ensure your growing stevia experience is successful and provides a continuous supply of this wonderful natural sugar substitute.

Size & Details

This stevia rebaudiana live plant is supplied as a well-rooted plug, ready for transplanting into a larger pot or garden bed. Each plug is typically 1 inch by 1 inch by 1 1/4 inches, with plant sizes varying naturally. Upon maturity, the stevia rebaudiana live plant develops an upright, shrubby habit, reaching an average height of 18-24 inches and a spread of 16-18 inches. These dimensions can be influenced by growing conditions and pruning. The plant will produce clusters of tiny white flowers from July to August, though for optimal sweetness, it’s recommended to snip buds as they appear before flowering. Rooted starter plants are ideal for establishing quickly in your desired location, whether it’s a small container or a larger landscape application. For landscape use, it’s beneficial to establish the plug in a 3-4 inch pot before planting outdoors to ensure a strong start.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The stevia rebaudiana live plant typically grows to an upright, shrubby habit of 18-24 inches tall and 16-18 inches wide at maturity, depending on growing conditions and pruning.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: This sweet leaf herb is provided as a well-rooted plug, which is a small seedling in a 1″ x 1″ x 1 1/4″ container, ready for transplanting.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The stevia rebaudiana live plant can be grown both indoors and outdoors. It thrives as a perennial in USDA zones 9-11 and can be grown as an annual or overwintered indoors in colder climates.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: Stevia requires full sun, meaning it needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily to grow optimally and produce the sweetest leaves.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, growing stevia is relatively easy. It requires consistent watering, well-draining soil, and full sun. Pinching back flowers helps maintain leaf sweetness.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: You will receive a healthy, well-rooted starter plug, ready to be transplanted. While minor leaf damage can occur during shipping, the strong root system ensures quick recovery.
• Q: Can I use stevia leaves in cooking? A: Absolutely! The leaves of the stevia rebaudiana live plant are a fantastic natural sugar substitute, perfect for sweetening drinks, desserts, and various culinary creations.
• Q: How long until it blooms? A: Stevia typically blooms in July-August. For the sweetest leaves, it’s recommended to harvest foliage before or as flower buds appear.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Stevia is a perennial in USDA zones 9-11. In colder zones (below 9), it should be grown as an annual or brought indoors to overwinter in a sunny location.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature it can tolerate? A: As a tender perennial, the stevia rebaudiana live plant is sensitive to frost and generally cannot tolerate temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit for extended periods.