How to Grow Stevia UK
On this page
In the UK, stevia is sown early February to late March, and planted out mid May to mid June.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: planting out mid May, and that same window applies across all 4 regions covered here.
The short answer
- Sow
- Early February to late March
- Plant out
- Mid May to mid June
- Site
- 2+ hours of sun, soil pH 5.5–7
- Biggest risk
- Septoria leaf spot of stevia
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana)
3 sources cited · Verified
When to Plant Stevia in the UK
When to plant stevia in the UK: in Southern England, sow early February to late March and plant out mid May to mid June. Find your area in the table below.
| Region | Sow | Plant out |
|---|---|---|
| Southern England | early February to late March | mid May to mid June |
| Midlands | early February to late March | mid May to mid June |
| Northern England | early February to late March | mid May to mid June |
| Scotland | early February to late March | mid May to mid June |
Southern England - detail & sources
RHS gives no region-specific UK dates, only a frost-relative rule: sow under cover, plant outside after all risk of frost has passed. Applied as one UK-wide window (indoor sowing February-March, planting out mid-May to mid-June) across all four sub-regions, since stevia's H3 hardiness rating means it is grown as an annual everywhere in the UK regardless of region -- there is no genuine regional gradient to reflect, only a shared frost-avoidance rule.
Midlands - detail & sources
RHS gives no region-specific UK dates, only a frost-relative rule: sow under cover, plant outside after all risk of frost has passed. Applied as one UK-wide window (indoor sowing February-March, planting out mid-May to mid-June) across all four sub-regions, since stevia's H3 hardiness rating means it is grown as an annual everywhere in the UK regardless of region -- there is no genuine regional gradient to reflect, only a shared frost-avoidance rule.
Northern England - detail & sources
RHS gives no region-specific UK dates, only a frost-relative rule: sow under cover, plant outside after all risk of frost has passed. Applied as one UK-wide window (indoor sowing February-March, planting out mid-May to mid-June) across all four sub-regions, since stevia's H3 hardiness rating means it is grown as an annual everywhere in the UK regardless of region -- there is no genuine regional gradient to reflect, only a shared frost-avoidance rule.
Scotland - detail & sources
RHS gives no region-specific UK dates, only a frost-relative rule: sow under cover, plant outside after all risk of frost has passed. Applied as one UK-wide window (indoor sowing February-March, planting out mid-May to mid-June) across all four sub-regions, since stevia's H3 hardiness rating means it is grown as an annual everywhere in the UK regardless of region -- there is no genuine regional gradient to reflect, only a shared frost-avoidance rule.
Quick Facts
At a Glance
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
Harvest & Storage
Diseases
Pests
Stevia Photo Gallery
Plan your Stevia planting
When to sow and plant Stevia depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
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
Section researched and checked on 25 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.
Growing Stevia in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
References
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USDA hardiness zones 10a-11b. Full sun (6+ hrs) or partial shade (2-6 hrs). Soil pH acidic (<6.0) to neutral (6.0-8.0), loamy or sandy, well-drained. Spacing 12in-3ft. Height/spread 1-2ft. Propagate by stem cuttings or seed. Leaves harvested approx 90 days after planting; best harvested just as it begins to flower; prune flower buds to improve leaf flavour. Keep soil moist -- overwatering causes root rot. Fertilize every 4-6 weeks during growing season. Blooms July-August, small white tubular flowers in clusters. Pest issues: aphids and spider mites. No known serious disease issues (see separate NC State Septoria leaf spot publication, which documents a real disease not mentioned on this general toolbox page). Native to Brazil and Paraguay. In North Carolina grown as an annual, moved indoors before first frost if kept as a perennial.
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Caused by the fungus Septoria steviae -- stevia is the only known host. Symptoms begin as small necrotic lesions at the base of the plant that move upward in the canopy under favourable conditions; lesions coalesce causing leaf necrosis and eventual defoliation. Pycnidia form within lesions, releasing conidia spread by rain splash. Disease spreads most rapidly in periods of high rainfall with cool night temperatures (typically September-October in North Carolina). When stevia is grown as a perennial, inoculum overwinters in plant debris and re-infects new stems the following season.
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Half-hardy tender perennial often grown as an annual. Propagate by seed; plant outside after all risk of frost has passed. Soil: loam or sand, acid/alkaline/neutral, moist but well-drained. Sun: full sun or partial shade, warm sunny position. Hardiness H3 (-5 to 1°C min, coastal/mild UK only). Height/spread 0.5-1m. Leaves harvested for use as a natural sweetener; time to maturity 1-2 years. May be susceptible to thrips and a virus disease. Family Asteraceae. Not native to GB/Ireland.
3 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant stevia out in the UK?
In Southern England, from mid May. In Scotland, wait until mid May. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to plant out only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
When do I sow stevia?
Sow early February to late March.
What soil pH does stevia need?
A pH of about 5.5–7. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
What problems affect stevia?
Our data links 1 disease and 3 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
Get the UK Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against RHS and Met Office guidance. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Related Problem Guides
Last verified 2026-10-25
Plan Stevia by month
The months this guide gives for sowing or planting, each with the full list of jobs for that month in the UK:
More from the same group (herbs & aromatics):
Growing advice for your part of the UK
Timing and conditions change a lot inside one country. These guides cover frost dates and growing seasons region by region.
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.