Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana)
3 sources cited · Verified
The short answer
- Plant out
- Early March to late March
- Site
- 2+ hours of sun, soil pH 5.5–7
- Biggest risk
- Septoria leaf spot of stevia
In the UK, stevia planted out early March to late March.
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) — Tender perennial usually grown as a half-hardy annual outside USDA zones 10-11 (RHS.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the USA: there are 7 separate regional planting out windows, ranging from early February in Deep South & Gulf Coast to early May in Intermountain West.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Regional Planting Calendar
| Region | Plant out |
|---|---|
| Pacific Northwest derived | early March to late March |
| Northeast & New England derived | early April to mid April |
| Lower Midwest & Ohio Valley derived | mid April to late April |
| Intermountain West derived | early May to mid May |
| N. Plains & Upper Midwest derived | late April to early May |
| Mid-Atlantic & Upper South derived | early April to mid April |
| Deep South & Gulf Coast derived | early February to mid February |
Rows marked derived are interpolated between regions our sources do state, because no source we consulted gives a figure for that region specifically. They are deliberately wider to reflect that uncertainty.
Pacific Northwest - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Frost-tender; plant outside after all risk of frost has passed (RHS); grown as an annual outside USDA zones 10-11, moved indoors or discarded before first frost if kept longer (NC State Extension). Applied to a mean last frost of 8 March (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 8 March to 22 March. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Northeast & New England - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Frost-tender; plant outside after all risk of frost has passed (RHS); grown as an annual outside USDA zones 10-11, moved indoors or discarded before first frost if kept longer (NC State Extension). Applied to a mean last frost of 6 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 6 April to 20 April. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Lower Midwest & Ohio Valley - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Frost-tender; plant outside after all risk of frost has passed (RHS); grown as an annual outside USDA zones 10-11, moved indoors or discarded before first frost if kept longer (NC State Extension). Applied to a mean last frost of 16 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 16 April to 30 April. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Intermountain West - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Frost-tender; plant outside after all risk of frost has passed (RHS); grown as an annual outside USDA zones 10-11, moved indoors or discarded before first frost if kept longer (NC State Extension). Applied to a mean last frost of 6 May (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 6 May to 20 May. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
N. Plains & Upper Midwest - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Frost-tender; plant outside after all risk of frost has passed (RHS); grown as an annual outside USDA zones 10-11, moved indoors or discarded before first frost if kept longer (NC State Extension). Applied to a mean last frost of 25 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 25 April to 9 May. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Mid-Atlantic & Upper South - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Frost-tender; plant outside after all risk of frost has passed (RHS); grown as an annual outside USDA zones 10-11, moved indoors or discarded before first frost if kept longer (NC State Extension). Applied to a mean last frost of 4 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 4 April to 18 April. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Deep South & Gulf Coast - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Frost-tender; plant outside after all risk of frost has passed (RHS); grown as an annual outside USDA zones 10-11, moved indoors or discarded before first frost if kept longer (NC State Extension). Applied to a mean last frost of 2 February (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 2 February to 16 February. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Quick Facts
At a Glance
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
Harvest & Storage
Diseases
Pests
Stevia Photo Gallery
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 1C 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 USA?
In Deep South & Gulf Coast, from early February. In Intermountain West, wait until early 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.
What soil pH do 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
Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.
Get the USA Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for US growing conditions
Last verified 2026-09-03
Where To Go From Here
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