Carpetweed is a prostrate, flowering, summer annual weed that spreads rapidly to create a dense mat of foliage resembling a carpet. It can be found growing in sunny disturbed areas including tilled gardens, newly planted lawns, and along roadsides. It is typically found in dry and sandy soils, but can also be found in moist soil. It will germinate in late spring in warm soil, spreading rapidly. Small, 1/4 inch flowers appear in mid-summer and continue through the early fall. Carpetweed needs full sun, moist to dry conditions, and sandy soil. It does tolerate partial shade and other soil types. Open disturbed sites are preferred because it is not competitive with other vegetation and does not do well when shaded by taller plants. It spreads from a sparsely branched central taproot, creating a 5 inch high, often circular, mat. This plant spreads by reseeding itself, and often forms colonies. As it spreads, it can quickly climb over nearby plants and obstacles. It is easy to remove this weed by either pulling or hoeing. It is important to remove it before it blooms in order to prevent the spread of unwanted seed. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests. This weed spreads quickly.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Creeping; Horizontal; Spreading
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite; Whorled
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Linear; Oblanceolate; Spatulate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Fleshy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Three to eight long narrow leaves form at each node. The dull green leaves are 1.5 inches long and .5 inches wide. There are whorls of 3-8 leaves at intervals along the stems. They are linear or linear-oblanceolate, smooth along their margins, and hairless.
Flower color
Green; White
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Sepals are green on the bottom and white to greenish-white on the upper surface. They may have pale vertical green lines. From the axils of the leaves, there are small whorls or clusters of 2 to 5 flowers. Each flower is about ¼ inch across, consisting of 5 petal-like sepals, no petals. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer through the fall, and lasts about 2 months. There is no noticeable floral scent.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Egg-shaped three-valved capsules containing up to 35 tiny seeds. Small seeds are reddish brown, shiny, and reniform. There are small ridges along the sides of the seeds, but they are hard to see without a magnifying glass.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Smooth stems branch form at nodes. The stems are either round or angular, occasionally forming side stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia.
Distribution
Eastern and western North America - south from Quebec and British Columbia.
Wildlife value
Bees are attracted to the blooms. Nectar and pollen of the flowers attract Halictid bees and various flies. Birds and small mammals eat the seeds.