Uses: Culinary Duration: Perennial (hardy in zones 11+) When to Sow: Anytime Ease of Germination: Moderate   Hot crop! Remarkable herbal sugar substitute! Contains stevioside, hundreds of times sweeter than sugar but without the calories. Leaf powder can be used in place of sugar in drinks, baked goods, desserts, preserves, etc. Has a pleasant flavour of its own that never dominates or overwhelms to which it is added.

At Last! After a nine-month search, we have finally found a source for this incredibly valuable plant that will allow us to offer it in our Medicinal Garden; this herb costs in excess of $3,000 per pound. Stevia is The Answer to ‘how are we going to sweeten things when we can’t get sugar?’: over 300X stronger than sugar, the unprocessed leaves can be used for sweeteners, or the extract can be used and stored for an indefinite period of time. We are *very* pleased to be able to include this exceptional herb in our Medicinal Garden offering. Please note that due to costs, twenty seeds are included in our MG offering.

Stevia Leaf Organic Profile

Also known as- Stevia rebaudiana, Sweet Leaf, Yerba Dulce, Sweet Herb of Paraguay, Sweet Herb, and Honey Leaf.

Introduction
Stevia is one of a family of plants that are native to South America and have been used for centuries to sweeten drinks and foods. Stevia leaves are said to be from 30 to 300 times sweeter than sugar * though the amount of sweetness varies from leaf to leaf and plant to plant. It is touted as a natural alternative to artificial sweeteners. To date, chemical analysis and studies show that the leaf adds no calories, has no harmful side effects and is more palatable with less aftertaste than any artificial, chemical sweetener to date.
Stevia has been in wide use in South America for centuries, and in Japan since the government banned the use of artificial sweeteners. To date, no harmful side effects have come to light, making stevia one of the most promising sugar alternatives available. Stevoside, made from stevia, is approved as a food additive in Korea, and is widely available throughout China, Taiwan and Malaysia. In China, tea made from stevia leaves are touted as anti-aging and weight reduction aids. In the US, stevia is awaiting GRAS (generally regarded as safe) status from the FDA.

Constituents
diterpene glycosides, steviol, dulcoside, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside A, isosteviol, stevioside, jhanol, flavonoid glycosides, quercetin,

Parts Used
Leaves

Typical Preparations
As a tea, in food and beverages as a sweetener and sometimes in capsule or extract form.

Summary
Stevia leaves are one of the sweetest substances known in nature, with a sweetness rating of up to 300 times the sweetening power of sugar. They have been called a ïsuper-sweetener', and are the source of stevioside, a widely available tabletop sweetener in many Asian countries. With no calories and very little bitter aftertaste, stevia is an excellent alternative sweetener to sugar for teas and other recipes that call for sugar. PLEASE NOTE: Most commercial Stevia which is a white crystalline color is actually the dried powdered extract of Stevia and is not the whole leaf.