How to Grow Stevia

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: Moist but well-drained; keep evenly moist without waterlogging (RHS; NC State Extension)

Soil pH range

5.5 7

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing and germination	0	Propagate by seed, or by stem cuttings (NC State Extension).
Vegetative growth	3	Grow on in full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral soil. Fertilize every 4-6 weeks during the growing season; avoid overwatering, which causes root rot (NC State Extension).
Flowering	6	Blooms July to August with small white tubular flowers in loose clusters. Pinching out flower buds is recommended to keep leaf flavour at its sweetest (NC State Extension).
Harvest	8	Leaves are ready roughly 90 days after planting, and are sweetest picked just as flowering begins. Grown as an annual in most climates, stevia is moved indoors or discarded before the first autumn frost unless in USDA zones 10-11, where it survives as a perennial (NC State Extension).

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil pH	5.5 - 7
Sunlight	2-6 hours direct sun
Soil texture	Loamy or sandy (RHS; NC State Extension)
Drainage	Moist but well-drained -- overwatering causes root rot (NC State Extension)
Lifecycle	Tender perennial usually grown as a half-hardy annual outside USDA zones 10-11 (RHS; NC State Extension)
Edible parts	leaves

At a Glance

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Leaves are ready to harvest around 90 days after planting, and are sweetest if picked just as the plant begins to flower in July or August; pinching out flower buds helps keep leaf flavour at its best (NC State Extension). Fresh leaves can be used for tea, but dried leaves are usually sweeter than fresh ones (NC State Extension).

Diseases

Pests

Glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite)

low

Tetranychus urticae

NC State Extension names spider mites as an occasional pest issue for stevia.

Aphids

low

Aphididae (various spp.)

NC State Extension names aphids as an occasional pest issue for stevia.

Thrips

low

Thysanoptera

RHS names thrips directly on its Stevia rebaudiana plant page.

What the research guides add

Stevia is a tender perennial from Brazil and Paraguay, which decides how it has to be grown in most gardens.

• A tender perennial in the daisy family that grows 1 to 2 feet tall and as wide, grown for sweet leaves that are ground to make a sugar substitute. (NC State Extension)
• It prefers full sun, tolerates partial shade, and needs moist, well-drained, slightly acidic, organically rich, loamy or sandy soil. (NC State Extension)
• It is winter hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11; in North Carolina it is grown as an annual and brought indoors before the first frost. (NC State Extension)
• Fertilise about every 4 to 6 weeks in the growing season. Leaves are harvested about 90 days after planting, best just as the plant begins to flower, cutting stems about 6 inches above the ground. (NC State Extension)
• It can be propagated by stem cuttings or seeds. Overwatering can cause root rot, and aphids and spider mites are worth watching for. (NC State Extension)

Sources for this section

• NC State Extension: Stevia rebaudiana (Plant Toolbox)

Section researched and checked on 25 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.

Sources

The full list of 3 sources behind this guide (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, NC State Extension Publications, Royal Horticultural Society) is in the references of our UK guide to stevia; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.