Hi, about 5-6 years ago I bought a stevia plant in Birmingham and it is still alive. I don't cut the stems in fall but mulch it real good. So far it always came back in late spring. Tried once to propagate, that did not work. I do get flowers but no seeds, I imagine that is because the growing season is to short here for that.
Hope this helps some -

Hi Kenneth!

I don't know diddly about stevia, but I do know how to say "Welcome to the forum!" It's always great to have new members.

Nelson

Nelson, thanks for the welcome, and Spinster I'm glad to hear stevia will survive the winters in B'ham. Since I live about 50 miles south of you, I probably order a few plants this spring. Also, are the leaves really as sweet as I've heard?

Thanks again,
Kenneth

Kenneth,
I grew Stevia from seed a few years ago and it did OK. Later I bought some from a local nursery and it was losing a lot of leaves. I asked them about it and the lady said it needed full sun. When I moved the plants to full morning sun, the problem stopped. 1 out 3 of those plants survived the first winter in a pot. When I have tried fresh leaves or steeping dried leaves in hot or cold water, I taste a very noticeable bitter aftertaste.
Allen