(Yerba dulce, Sweetleaf, Paraguayan Sweet Herb) Evergreen subshrub native to Paraguay and Brazil. The dried leaf is used for sweetening drinks, bakery or confections and is 250 times sweeter than sugar–a sweet green leaf to be sure! Traditional usage: wounds, hypoglycemia, digestive aid. Plants thrive in rich garden soil, and also they do very well in pots. Tend to get a bit leggy so cut them back to harvest and this will also encourage lower branch growth. Plants prefer full sun to part shade, humidity and plenty of water. Heat-dependent germinator does best if sown just under the surface, tamped well, kept evenly moist and in direct sun or under lights or in a greenhouse with temperatures from 80 to 85 degrees F. Germination in 1 to 2 weeks. It is possible to direct-seed stevia in the Southern states, or in the summer in northern states. Wait until the soil has really warmed up. Protect from slugs, which like the sweetness about as well as any other beast. Prick seedlings into gallon pots or transplant out to garden at 1 foot spacing in annual production and 2 foot spacing in the tropics.
