Now you can grow your own calorie-free, carbohydrate-free, low-glycemic sweetener at home! Stevia, also called sweetleaf, is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way. Some say the leaves have a slight, pleasant, anise aftertaste. The bushy, 18"-30" tall plants can be grown in 10"-12" diameter containers. Leaves are sweetest just before the plant flowers in late summer to fall. Grown as an annual, although perennial in USDA zones 10 and warmer.
Family: Asteraceae
Native: Paraguay and Brazil
Hardiness: Hardiness: Grown as an annual, although perennial in USDA zones 10 and warmer.
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Plant Dimensions: 18"–30" tall, 18" wide
Variety Info: An upright leafy plant with brittle stems and elliptical, toothed leaves. Plants produce small, white, tubular flowers in late summer to fall.
Attributes: Good for Containers
