Why Is Your Carpet Bugleweed Dying? 3 Reasons

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Willie writes on small engine repair, landscaping, and lawn care. He owned a professional lawn care business in Alabama for almost 10 years.

1. Your Carpet Bugleweed Has Crown Rot

It’s uncommon for carpet bugleweed to die because these plants are hardy and can tolerate different conditions and temperatures. However, one of the most common problems is crown rot, a fungal disease affecting the soil and roots of plants (source).

Several fungal pathogens can cause this condition, and you can only tell the rot has set in the roots when the plant begins to wilt and wither above ground.

Unfortunately, crown rot can be tricky to manage and fix, so you should act as soon as you think it might be the culprit.

Here are the signs to look out for if you suspect your carpet bugleweed has crown rot:

Yellowing leaves
Droopy leaves
Discolored flowers
Brown discolored roots

You should also check the surrounding soil. One of the most common causes of crown rot is soil that’s too wet or moist (source).

So if the soil feels wet when you touch it, crown rot is likely the culprit.

How To Fix

How you fix the issue will depend on how severe the crown rot infection is. If it’s only the beginning of a disease, you might be able to salvage the plant by removing the affected parts (like the discolored leaves) and ensuring the soil isn’t too wet or moist.

However, in more severe cases, you may need to remove the entire plant from the ground.

Here’s how to fix severe crown rot in a carpet bugleweed plant:

Remove the plants from the soil. Unfortunately, you’ll need to start over in severe cases, and the first step is to remove and discard the current dying plant.
Remove the surrounding soil. Since the infection is likely in the surrounding soil, you should remove as much of it as possible. You can add new soil in its place.
Treat the area with fungicide. Treating the soil with fungicide helps kill the infection, making it less likely to harm new plants.
Add new soil. You’ll need to add new soil to the area, especially if you have to remove a lot of the infected ground.
Plant the new carpet bugleweed. Next, you can plant the new carpet bugleweed. As explained by the University of Illinois, you should use a registered thiophanate-methyl fungicide at planting (source). It will help ensure the fungus doesn’t return and affect your new plant.

If possible, you should plant the new carpet bugleweed in a different location (where the fungus has not infected the soil). But of course, not everyone has the space for this, so it’s OK if you need to follow the steps above.

Additionally, leave plenty of space between plants to promote airflow. Otherwise, fungus might become a problem again.

2. Your Bugleweed Has Insufficient Water Supply

An insufficient water supply can cause your carpet bugleweed to dehydrate, although it’s generally not an issue because these plants have a moderate drought tolerance (source).

If you live in a region that doesn’t get much rainfall, your carpet bugleweed is more susceptible to dying from lack of soil moisture.

Here are some of the main symptoms of a dehydrated carpet bugleweed:

Wilting leaves
Discolored leaves
Stunted growth

If you notice the above symptoms, your carpet bugleweed could need water.

How To Fix

If your carpet bugleweed is dehydrated and not getting enough water, you’ll need to water it more.

In the beginning, it might be good to water it deeply every day. But once the plant shows improvement, you can reduce the watering to avoid giving it too much water (which is a separate issue)!

Removing parts of the plant that appear dead is also good, allowing room for new growth.

If the plant is past the point of fixing, you’ll need to remove it and plant a new one. But once it’s in the early stages of dehydration, you should be able to restore it.

3. You Have Overwatered Your Bugleweed

Although too little water can cause dehydration and death in carpet bugleweed plants, too much can also cause death. Your carpet bugleweed needs water to remain alive and healthy, but if you overwater (or if it rains a lot), there will likely be issues to address.

Additionally, giving your plants too much water can lead to problems discussed earlier, particularly crown rot. Fungus thrives in wet and moist environments, so it is best to avoid overwatering (source).

The symptoms of overwatering are similar to symptoms of other issues, but here are the common ones to look for:

Droopy leaves
Soft leaves (they may appear and feel mushy)
Discolored leaves
Stunted growth
Soil that feels overly wet

If you notice some of these symptoms, your carpet bugleweed might be getting too much water.

How To Fix

To fix this issue, stop watering your plant and allow the soil to dry completely before rewatering. Doing so will give it time to dry, ensuring it doesn’t get any more damaged. If needed, you should also remove any dead parts of the plant.

You’ll need to provide shelter to your carpet bugleweed if the issue is due to excessive rainfall. Otherwise, the problem will continue, and the plant may die. If you can’t provide shelter, consider replanting the plants in a different, covered location in the garden.

Conclusion

Your carpet bugleweed could be dying for several reasons. The most common is crown rot, a fungal disease that spreads quickly from the soil to the plants. Fungus thrives in cold, wet soil, so ensure your soil isn’t too moist. You may need to remove the plant if crown rot is the problem.

Other issues include over or underwatering. In the case of overwatering, you should stop giving the plant water until it’s adequately dry. If the plant is dying due to underwatering, give it more water.

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