Stevia Growing Guide
Stevia At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Herb
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Tender
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -7°C
Plant Family
Asteraceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Take soft tip cuttings from a healthy plant, strip the lower leaves, and root them in moist mix. Quick and far more reliable than seed.
Stevia seed germinates poorly and unevenly, so most growers start from a cutting or a bought plant. It's frost tender, so treat it like a tomato: out after frost, and grow it in a pot you can bring in if you want to keep it another year.
When To Start
Stevia needs warmth. Wait until your last frost has passed and the soil has warmed before sowing.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Stevia?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Stevia Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Stevia Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Start stevia indoors (optional head start)
8 weeks before your last frost· optional
Plant stevia out (frost tender)
2 weeks after your last frost
Harvest stevia leaves (sweetest before flowering)
90 days after your last frost· every year
The Journey Ahead
Stevia's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 14–28 days
Growing Tips
- 1Give stevia warmth, full sun and steady moisture.
- 2Pinch the tips early to make it bushy, and harvest before flowering for the sweetest leaves.
- 3Bring a potted plant indoors to carry it over winter.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~90
Days to Maturity
60 cm
Mature Height
45 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
60 days
When to Pick
Pick leaves anytime; they're sweetest just before it flowers in late summer
How to Harvest
- 1Snip leafy stems as needed through the season.
- 2For a big harvest, cut the whole plant back before it flowers, when the leaves are at their sweetest, and dry them.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
Ready to grow this?
Grow stevia with us.
This page is free and stays free. An account adds the one thing a guide cannot do on its own: your own frost dates, so it tells you the weeks to sow stevia where you live.
