Clovers Garden Stevia Plant - Two -2- Live Plants - Non-GMO - Not Seeds - Each 4"-7" Tall - in 3.5 Inch Clovers Branded Pots

The Stevia Plant is commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply Stevia and is widely grown for its sweet leaves. Used as a sweetener or sugar substitute, Stevia leaves are 30 times sweeter than sugar but contain virtually no calories. Because Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is ideal as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets. An attractive garden plant with bright green almond shaped leaves that produces delicate white flowers over the growing season. It is a lovely plant to place in the garden and it looks equally nice placed in mixed planters or on its own. Stevia is a great culinary herb and its leaves can be used fresh to sweeten summer teas and other drinks, in fruit salads, custards, desserts and more. It can be used like a bay leaf to sweeten meat and vegetable dishes while they cook, or you can dry the leaves and use them all year round in a vast variety of ways. It is not recommended using Stevia leaves as a replacement for processed sugars when baking as Stevia does not caramelize like sugar or react with other ingredients as sugar does. Place plants 10-15 inches apart in a full sun to part sun location. Stevia prefers a sandy loam or loam soil that is well draining. Mulching the plants is recommended as they have a shallower root base and this will protect the plant along with preserving the soil moisture. This plant needs consistent moisture with watering 1-2 times per week depending on the rain. Pinch top leaves back (for the first month) to encourage a bushier plant growth. The Stevia plant will grow 1-3 feet tall depending on the growing season. Stevia is a tender, perennial herb that is usually grown as an annual but may be overwintered indoors. Shipped in Clovers Garden Branded Pots with Clovers Garden Copyrighted Planting Instructions Included. Great info for your growing!!