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Candy Leaf

Stevia rebaudiana, Asteraceae

Sources last read 14 September 2026.

Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.

Also called caa-ehe, candyleaf, Stevia, Sugar Leaf, Sweet Herb of Paraguay, Sweet Honey Leaf and Sweet Leaf.

Candy Leaf (Stevia rebaudiana), the whole plant.
Plenuska, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Toxicity is partly unassessed

  • Listed as non-toxic to cats by ASPCA.
  • Listed as non-toxic to dogs by ASPCA.
  • Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.

What the sources say about its care

Light
Full sun, Partial shade
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Water
Moist but well-drained
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Humidity

No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.

ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%
Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Temperature

How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.

H3 — -5 to 1°C -5 to 1 °C
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Soil
Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or Neutral
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to cats
Non-toxic
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to dogs
Non-toxic
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Harmful to people
No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Routine care

Feeding
Feeding roughly every 4 to 6 weeks in the growing season is advised.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Propagation
Stem cuttings or seeds can be used for propagation.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Increase from seed.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pruning
Removing the flower buds can help the leaves taste better.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Pruning is not needed.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pests and diseases
Thrips can occur. Diseases: a virus disease can occur.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

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Close view of Candy Leaf (Stevia rebaudiana) foliage.
Close upPlenuska, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

About the plant

Stevia rebaudiana is a plant species in the genus Stevia of the family Asteraceae. It is commonly known as candyleaf, sweetleaf or sugarleaf.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026

Native range
Brazil (Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul) to Paraguay
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Brazil to Paraguay
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Growth form
Annual, Herb, Herbaceous Perennial; habit erect
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Bushy (deciduous)
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Size
Height 12–24 in; width 12–24 in
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Height 0.5-1 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 1–2 years
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Flowering
Flowers white; blooms in summer
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Flowers white in summer
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Uses

What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.

A compound from the leaves is used as a sugar substitute and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It is used for diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, fatigue and infections. The leaves are very edible and serve as a sweetener, eaten straight after picking, made into tea, or dried.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026

More of the Asteraceae family

Plants with similar care

Sources

What this does not cover

The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.

Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.

If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.