Stevia - Stevia rebaudiana - €4 per plant  

Stevia is subtropical perennial  widely grown for its sweet leaves. The leaves contain 'stevioside', a substance that is 300 times sweeter than sucrose. They are sometimes chewed by those wishing to reduce their sugar intake.  Its medicinal uses include regulating blood sugar, preventing hypertension, treatment of skin disorders, and prevention of tooth decay. The leaves can also be cooked and eaten as a vegetable.  To order this plant please contact us [email protected].  

Context

  • native region: S. America 
  • native habitat: Infertile, sandy acid soils with shallow water tables.
  • family: Asteraceae 

Predators

  • Snails sometimes move in after the winter dormancy

Needs, tolerances 

  • Light: Full sun
  • soil pH:  Acid, neutral -basic alkaline 
  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 8-11
  • Requires a warm and sunny position
  • Favours humid, wet environments, although the root does not tolerate standing water.



Known hazards

  • May cause dizziness, headache, flatulence, nausea & muscle pain. Caution with diabetic patients. May increase blood pressure lowering effects of allopathic medicine

Overview

  • Tender perennial growing to 0.6 m at a fast rate.
  • The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
  • Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers moist soil.
  • Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
  • It cannot grow in the shade.
  • Prefers a sandy soil

Characteristics

  • form: Multi-stemmed herbaceous perennial 
  • layer : Herb Layer
  • habit: It is a short day plant, growing up to 0.6 meters in the wild

Products 

  • Stevia is widely grown for its sweet leaves. The leaves contain 'stevioside', a substance that is 300 times sweeter than sucrose. They are sometimes chewed by those wishing to reduce their sugar intake.  The leaves can also be cooked and eaten as a vegetable. 
  • The plant has been used for more than 1500 years in Brasil and Paraguay medicinally. When digested as a sugar this plant also has special healing powers such as the ability to lower blood sugar and pressure, reduce inflammation and prevent infection.

Functions, behaviours

  • Flowering under short day conditions should occur 54-104 days following transplanting, depending on the day length and sensitivity of the cultivar. 
  • Plants are not very frost resistant, but can be grown as half-hardy annuals in Britain, starting them off in a greenhouse and planting them out after the last expected frosts.
If you would like this plant please send an email to [email protected] with your order. 
Balkan Ecology Project