Which plant is the main natural source of the sweetener steviol glycoside?

Stevia rebaudiana is the main natural source of steviol glycosides, the intensely sweet compounds used in stevia sweeteners.

The species is a small perennial shrub native to parts of South America, especially areas of Paraguay and Brazil. Indigenous Guaraní people used its leaves to sweeten beverages, including mate, before it became an international commercial product.

Steviol glycosides are extracted from the leaves and can be many times sweeter than sucrose. The best-known compound is stevioside, while rebaudioside A is also widely used in purified sweetener products.

“Stevia” can refer either to the plant or to extracts made from it. It should not be confused with licorice, sugar cane, or miraculin-producing miracle fruit, all of which have different sweetening compounds and botanical origins.