Question: I learned about an interesting plant called stevia which is 300 times sweeter than sugar but without the calories. Can this plant be grown in the Umpqua Valley?
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(1) comment
Thanks, Chris!
We've had a stevia in a pot for 14 years now. It lives in full sun most of the year, and spends the coldest months in a greenhouse, never losing most of its leaves. I've propagated it from stems multiple times, though last year's attempt failed. Maybe it's running out of steam. I've never harvested its seeds, but I'll give that a shot this year.
We've used the leaves in a homemade tea mix with dried berries and berry leaves, madrone bark, dried clover blossoms and so on. Delicious.
We've also made tinctures for sweetening. One plant makes enough leaves for several households for years.
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