Eetbare tuin-edible garden Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni - Stevia plant

• Article number: STEREBE02*

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni also known under the names Stevia, Stepa and Honeyweed is originally a subtropical plant from South America (Brazil and Paraguay.
Is well in a sunny or slightly shaded place. The more sun, the sweeter the plant.
This perennial plant grows to about 60/80 cm high when not pruned. Well-drained soil and a not too wet place is sufficient.
The leaf is approximately 2.5 / 3 cm and is fresh green in color. From April the plant will grow again and this continues until the end of October. You can cut your leaves of the plant several times during the growing season to your heart's content.
Stevia will blossom in the autumn.

The main issue is the Stevia. This is used as a substitute for sugar. The leaf contains many sweeteners, the plant has been used for centuries by the Guarani Indians to make their drinking and food sweeter. With us, the plant is used as a sugar substitute.
It was also used by them in skin problems such as eczema and dermatitis etc.
To indicate how sweet the leaf of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is, a healthy fresh leaf can be about 40 times sweeter than regular sugar or sucrose.
The sweet taste comes from the glycosides in the leaf, these vegetable substances give the leaves the sweet taste.

The leaf can therefore be used fresh, but also serves as a sweetener in dried form.
Stevia is popular and is widely used by people with hypoglycaemia and diabetes, and blood pressure seems to work lowering. Stevia is low in calories as opposed to sugar and does not cause tooth decay.
For example, Coca-Cola uses stevia extract (glycosides) as a sweetener.
You can overwinter the plant as a tub plant in a cool place or bring it in a room that is not fired.
In the open ground is the winter hardiness (If the roots do not freeze, the plant will come back in the spring).
To overwinter above the freezing point as a container plant.
Winter hardiness zone 8a (-10 / -12ºC).