Stevia
Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a sunflower-family herb whose leaves contain steviol glycosides 200–300 times sweeter than sugar. Dried leaves make a natural sweetener; it is native to Paraguay and Brazil.
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Stevia — dried leaves (sweetener)Stevia — plant
Stevia — leaves
Stevia — white flowers
Stevia — seed head
Stevia — furry stemsStevia — dried leaves (sweetener)Stevia — plantOverview
Stevia rebaudiana, commonly called stevia, candyleaf or sweetleaf, is a perennial herb of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), 40–80 cm tall with slender, hairy stems; in cold regions it dies back and resprouts from the base in spring. The opposite, lance-shaped to oblong leaves are 2–5 cm long, bluntly toothed at the margin and covered with short hairs above. Small white flower heads are borne in the leaf axils and at the tips of the branches, opening from late summer into autumn; the fruit is a small, pappus-bearing achene, but the seed germinates poorly, so plants are usually propagated by stem cuttings.
Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/11/2026
Stevia is native to the Amambay region of Paraguay and adjacent southwestern Brazil, where the indigenous Guaraní have long used its leaves as a sweetener. The whole plant contains steviol glycosides — chiefly stevioside and rebaudioside A — which are 200–300 times sweeter than sucrose (some rebaudiosides up to 450 times) yet supply almost no energy. Japan began cultivating and extracting it in the 1970s, and today it is a globally popular plant-based sweetener for people with diabetes or on low-calorie diets; the leaves are also brewed as an herbal tea, and extracts are studied for blood-sugar support.
Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/11/2026
Life cycle
From seed to productPlant
Perennial herb 40–80 cm tall, slender hairy stems forming a bushy clump.
Leaves
Opposite lance-shaped leaves with bluntly toothed margins, rich in steviol glycosides.
Flower
Small white flower heads opening from late summer into autumn.
Fruit & seed
Small pappus-bearing achene; the seed germinates poorly.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- Paraguay (Amambay) & SW Brazil — native25%
- East Asia (Japan, China, Korea)25%
- Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia)20%
- South Asia & Oceania15%
- Americas & Africa (cultivated)15%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- Water45%
- Stevioside~300× sweeter than sugar20%
- Rebaudioside ACleanest sweetness, least bitter12%
- Flavonoids & antioxidants10%
- Fibre8%
- Minerals (potassium, calcium)5%
Uses
- Sweetener: stevia leaves and extracts replace sugar for people with diabetes or on low-calorie diets; stevioside and rebaudioside A are 200–300 times sweeter than sucrose yet supply almost no energy
- Tea & food: dried leaves are brewed as tea and added to drinks and dishes; widely used in Japan since the 1970s and now common in 'zero-sugar' products
- Medicine & research: extracts are studied for blood-sugar and blood-pressure support and antioxidant effects; a globally popular plant-based sweetener
- Cultivation: propagated mainly by cuttings; leaves are harvested before flowering when steviol-glycoside content peaks; grown as a medicinal crop in home gardens and small farms
Properties
- Form
- Perennial herb
- Product
- Dried leaves, steviol-glycoside extract
- Hallmark
- 200–300× sweeter than sugar, almost zero calorie
- Uses
- Sweetening, tea, medicine
Habitat & conservation
Stevia prefers a warm to subtropical climate, full sun and loose, well-drained soil of pH 6.5–7.5, and does well where rainfall is moderate. In cool regions it dies back and resprouts from the base in spring. Because its seed germinates poorly, it is usually propagated by stem cuttings.
Conservation
Stevia is a widely cultivated medicinal plant and is not threatened — classified Least Concern (LC). Sunflower family (Asteraceae), genus Stevia; in Vietnam it is grown as a small medicinal and ornamental plant.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni — Kew Science, 2026
- 2Stevia rebaudiana (candyleaf) — description, chemistry, distribution, uses — English Wikipedia, 2026
- 3Cỏ ngọt (Stevia rebaudiana) — đặc điểm, chất tạo ngọt, công dụng — Vietnamese Wikipedia, 2026
- 4甜叶菊 Stevia rebaudiana — 形態、甜菊糖苷與用途 — Chinese Wikipedia, 2026
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Flyingbikie (CC0); Mokkie (CC BY-SA 3.0); Ethel Aardvark (CC BY 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: Forest and Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0 US); NmiPortal (CC BY-SA 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons,