Sugarleaf Organic Stevia Seeds

Days to Maturity: 85 from direct sow

A wholesome alternative to processed sugar and chemically derived artificial sweeteners, stevia (“sugarleaf”) is becoming more and more popular among health-conscious individuals. It’s 20 to 30 times sweeter than sugar cane, yet is noncaloric and doesn’t promote tooth decay.

Stevia is easy to use, too. Just drop a leaf into hot or cold drinks, or use it like a bay leaf to sweeten meat and vegetables dishes while they cookit’s heat stable. Grind the dried leaves and sprinkle them into cereals and other cold dishes as you would sugar. You can even extract the oil.

The plant is a tender perennial (grown as an annual everywhere except zones 10 and 11) that loves consistently moist soil, full sunshine, and excellent soil drainage. Its leaves reach their peak of sweetness just before the plant flowers, and flowering is triggered by the arrival of short days. So, in late summer or fall, when th