Conditional — Some Areas
stevia (zones 10-11) reaches only part of Florida (8b-12a): zones 10-11 are in range, so where you are in the state decides it.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Florida spans zones 8b-12a, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score stevia against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Zone Comparison
Stevia Needs
- USDA Zones: 10-11
- Frost-Free Days: 55+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 2 ft tall
- Picking window: ~120 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: Low
Florida Has
- USDA Zones: 8b-12a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Jan 25 - Feb 10
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 7 - Dec 18
- Annual Rainfall: 50-65 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy, Muck (Everglades), Shell-rock (Keys)
Plant Zone Range (zones 10-11)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Stevia in Florida
The frost window
Across Florida, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 25 and Feb 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Dec 7 and Dec 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 300-day window you can count on — up to 327 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Frost tenderness
Stevia is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 59°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so set plants out two to three weeks PAST your local last hard freeze, not on it and not on the state's earliest date. The 28°F marker above is when killing freezes stop, not when light frost does.
When to start the seed
Those dates are when stevia goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 8 weeks ahead, so counting back from Florida's late-side last freeze of Feb 10 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.
Grown as an annual here
Stevia is a true perennial in its home range — it overwinters from USDA zone 10 and warmer (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder) — but Florida runs as cold as zone 8, so it is killed back each winter and replanted each spring. Treat it on the season schedule above, not as a permanent planting: there is no fall establishment window for it here.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says stevia survives winter in part of Florida, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Stevia wants 55+ frost-free days; a typical Florida site sees ~320 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Stevia needs ~2000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~7743 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Florida's typical season clears that easily.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Stevia tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4-7.5) — 3.5 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Florida. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 5 and 6.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Florida soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Florida site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Florida soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Stevia in Florida — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 10-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 8b-12a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Jan 25 - Feb 10 to Dec 7 - Dec 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
- Days to Maturity: 90 days
What Else to Consider for Stevia in Florida
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Florida growers also need to think about:
Sandy soils drain too fast and hold few nutrients — frequent fertilization needed
Humidity drives fungal diseases (powdery mildew, black spot, rust)
Hurricane season (June-November) can destroy plantings
Nematodes are a serious pest in sandy FL soils
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Florida grower, not just stevia — is covered on the Florida growing guide.
Timing shifts within Florida
Stevia needs about 55 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Holmes County — Florida’s shortest season at 281 frost-free days — clears that by 226 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Florida. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Florida’s 67 counties the frost-free season runs from 281 days in Holmes County to 365 days in Sarasota County — a spread of 84 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Florida county sees 320 frost-free days, leaving stevia about 265 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Stevia's 55-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Florida Fits Best
Even within Florida's zones 8b-12a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for stevia (USDA PHZM 2023):
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Stevia draws honeybees and native bees (low value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, stevia can only work that bloom inside Florida's frost window — roughly 320 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Jan 25 - Feb 10) and closing at the first (Dec 7 - Dec 18), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Florida Cooperative Extension
For Florida-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for stevia, the canonical source is UF/IFAS Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Stevia in Florida
When can I plant Stevia in Florida?
Florida's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Jan 25 and Feb 10, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Dec 7 and Dec 18 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Stevia overwinters only from USDA zone 10 and warmer, and Florida runs as cold as zone 8, so it is grown as an annual here — plant it after the last hard freeze, two to three weeks later for tender stock, and expect to replant next spring rather than establishing it for the long term.
What hardiness zone is Stevia grown in across Florida?
Florida spans USDA hardiness zones 8b-12a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Stevia carries a range of zones 10-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Florida site have?
A typical Florida site sees ~320 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Stevia needs 55+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
How should I amend the soil for Stevia in Florida?
Stevia tolerates pH 4-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That is a 3.5-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Florida site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Stevia actually grow on my specific land in Florida?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores stevia against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Florida
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores stevia against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Florida stevia averages can't show:
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