Stevia

Stevia rebaudiana

herb

Stevia (Sweet Leaf or Sugar Leaf) is a tender perennial native to Paraguay with sweet-tasting leaves used as a natural zero-calorie sugar substitute. Just one fresh leaf chewed gives an intense sweetness 30 to 40 times more concentrated than sugar. Dried and ground stevia leaves can be used in teas, baking, and homemade drinks, and refined stevia extract is the source of the commercial stevia sweetener.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Marigolds — Suppress nematodes in the root zone
• Basil — Shares warm-season conditions
• Lemongrass — Companion herb for sweet teas and infusions
• Mint — Pairs in herbal tea blends

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Aphids →

  Blast with water, encourage ladybugs

• Whiteflies →

  Yellow sticky traps; insecticidal soap if populations build

• Slugs →

  Iron phosphate bait around young plants

• Frost damage →

  Cover or move indoors when nights drop below 50F

🌾 Harvest & storage

Harvest leaves about 90 days after planting. The best time to harvest is just before flowering when the sweet compounds (steviol glycosides) are most concentrated. Cut whole stems, strip leaves, and dry on a screen for 1 to 2 days; the leaves dry fast and retain sweetness. Grind dried leaves into a green powder for use in baking and beverages, or steep whole dried leaves in tea (a single leaf sweetens a cup). Fresh leaves can also be used directly.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Culinary and metabolic value: Stevia leaves contain steviol glycosides (mainly stevioside and rebaudioside A) ; the whole leaf is roughly 30 to 45 times sweeter than sugar and the refined glycosides about 200 to 300 times, yet they contribute no calories and do not raise blood sugar. Stevia has been studied as a sweetener for diabetics and people on low-glycemic diets, and the leaves are approved as a sweetener in many countries.