Short and Sweet: Stevia
Photo: Gabriela F. Ruellan
How do you take your coffee or tea? If you prefer to use a sweetener, you have probably heard of stevia. Also called sweetleaf (Stevia rebaudiana), the leaves of this plant are widely used as a sugar replacement. Lucky you — it can be grown in the home landscape and used in your own beverages and desserts. Stevia belongs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) and makes an excellent “garden to table” option.
Characteristics
Stevia is native to warm, humid climates of South America, and sourced specifically from Brazil and Paraguay. It is a small shrub reaching 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. It has weak, floppy stems and white flowers with purple accents. The slender, oblong leaves have been used by indigenous peoples to sweeten medicines and foods dating prior to the 16th century.
Today, the leaves are commercially processed into a powder, tablet, or syrup to be used as a sweetener, and have found their way into grocery stores across the United States. Stevia is a naturally sweet alternative with zero calories and zero impact on blood glucose levels, making it a healthy option. And since it doesn’t contribute to tooth decay, stevia keeps the dentist away, too.
But you don’t need to saunter down the aisle of the supermarket to find stevia — you can grow it right in your backyard!
Planting and Care
This shrub needs sandy, well-drained soil. Make sure to keep the soil moist but don’t overwater, which can cause root rot. Mulching around the plant can help trap moisture and reduce weeds. It thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11 and prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade.
Stevia does well in a container as a houseplant or on the patio. If overwintering your plant in areas that freeze, make sure to bring the plant indoors before the first frost. The stevia plant can make an alluring addition to an edible garden or children’s garden. Its sweet, fragrant leaves can serve as teaching or therapy tools in a sensory garden.
Harvesting and Use
Pinching off flower buds as soon as they appear will help maximize the quality of the leaves (they are sweetest before flowering occurs). Fall is the best time to harvest the leaves, which can be used fresh or dried. Generally, stevia leaves are sweeter when dried. Dried leaves should be stored in jars and can be blended to form a powder.
The stevia leaves can be eaten fresh off the plant or steeped in hot water along with tea leaves. The powder can be used in coffee, baking dishes, or sprinkled over yogurt or fruit. It even works well in cold drinks such as lemonade or fruit punch. A little goes a long way — stevia leaves contain glucoside compounds that are 200-300 times sweeter by weight than cane sugar.
This herbaceous shrub can add some guilt-free sweetness to your life. Stevia is not just a powder in a packet, it’s a small, pleasant plant with a powerful punch.