Stevia rebaudiana: there are currently strict rules meaning that unlike the US, it can't be grown here in the UK for human consumption – grow it as an annual for its soft green leaves, upright habit and loose clusters of tubular white flowers later in the season, a lovely & unusual ornamental. It is known as ‘Sweet herb’ so pop it in containers or plant out in your herb garden. More information about its traditional uses can be found below.
Price for 10 seeds
SOW: surface sow on moist compost and just cover, maintain humidity with a plastic bag or propagator & keep at 25-27°C until they germinate (1-3 weeks, can be erratic). Pot on when large enough & keep protected. Can be sown at any time to be grown with protection, or spring sow to plant & grow outside
GROW: when threat of frost has passed, harden the seedlings off, plant in full sun, keep moist & mulch to conserve moisture. Pinch back bushy stevia plants to encourage fresh young growth. Plant out amongst your other herbs however Stevia does well in containers - which can be brought inside to overwinter in warm conditions. Cut back flowering stems to encourage new growth
ENJOY: this unusual plant is a perennial with the right conditions but best treated as a Half Hardy Annual in UK conditions. More information can be found below
USES:
Great garden plant:
- grow it as an annual for its soft green leaves, upright habit and loose clusters of tubular white flowers
- bushy up to 30cm
- prefers a sheltered site, full or part sun, moist but well draining soil
- plant out after all danger of frost is over – although deciduous in its native home it will die back in freezing temperature (thus grow as a half hardy annual)
Botanical information
- in the botanical world, Stevia comprises a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the plant family, Asteraceae. Among all those species, however, there is only one that exhibits a high level of sweetness: that is Stevia rebaudiana.
Traditional uses:
- Stevia is native to Paraguay and Brazil where it has been used for centuries not only to sweeten food but also to treat various ailments and diseases
Traditional harvesting
- Leaves can be picked as required.
- Leaves may be eaten straight from the plant or dried.
- Leaves can be dried quickly in a warm oven, dried leaves should be stored in an airtight jar.
- Dried leaves can be ground up as needed to powder, this could be used be used in baking as a sugar replacement
- Sweetness is only released when eaten fresh or when steeped in hot water for example a single leaf in a hot cup of tea will bring a sweet, earthy flavour
Modern thoughts
- In 1900, Paraguayan chemist Ovidio Rebaudi discovered that stevia rebaudiana’s leaves contained compounds called steviol glycosides. Furthermore, when extracted and refined, these compounds were found to be 200 times sweeter than processed sugar.
- Stevia had received a lot of interest as it only takes a small amount of stevia to produce the same level of sweetness as sucrose. And since humans are unable to metabolize steviol glycosides, the extract was deemed not only calorie-free, but also didn’t raise blood sugar levels when digested.
CAUTION: to date Stevia is not approved in the UK or Europe for use in food due to the lack of generally accepted specifications
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