# Shrubs turning brown: find out why and save them

Updated: 2026-10-24 · https://pros411.com/en/guides/landscaping/shrubs-turning-brown

## Short answer

Push a finger 2 inches into the soil at the base. Dry? Water slowly and deeply under the edge of the branches. Soggy? Stop watering, because the roots may be rotting. Then bend a few brown twigs: if they bend, they are alive; if they snap, they are dead. Cut dead branches back to live wood, add 2 to 3 inches of mulch and check the drip emitter.

## How to save a shrub that is turning brown

![Cartoon shrub turning brown and crispy on one side under the hot sun](https://pros411.com/img/guias/shrubs-turning-brown.webp)

1. **One side turns brown and crispy.** Heat, a clogged emitter or sun reflected off a wall often hits one side first. The leaves dry from the tips and drop.
2. **Is it dry 2 inches down?.** Push a finger into the soil near the base. Dry means it needs water. Soggy means too much water, and the roots may be rotting.
3. **Bend test: alive or dead?.** Bend a brown twig. If it bends and the wood under the bark is moist, it is alive. If it snaps clean and dry, that part is dead.
4. **Cut back to live wood.** With clean pruners, cut dead branches just above a live bud or where they meet a live branch. Do not shear the whole shrub.
5. **Mulch and water deeply.** Spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch, a few inches away from the stems. Water slowly under the edge of the branches, where the feeder roots are.

## Common causes in hot, dry yards

- Not enough water: a clogged drip emitter or a sprinkler that misses the bed.
- Too much water: soggy soil rots the roots, and the shrub looks thirsty even when wet.
- Sunscald: the side facing a hot wall or the afternoon sun burns first.
- Salt: hard water or dog urine leaves brown leaf edges, especially in desert soils.
- New plants: shrubs planted in the last year need water more often until their roots spread.

## What not to do

- Do not fertilize a stressed shrub in summer heat. It pushes new growth the roots cannot support.
- Do not pile mulch against the stems. It traps moisture and invites rot and insects.
- Do not cut everything back at once. Remove the dead wood and wait to see what grows back.

## When to call a landscaper

- More than half of the shrub is still dead after you water and prune.
- Several shrubs in a row are dying at the same time.
- You see bugs, webbing, sticky leaves or oozing bark.
- The soil stays soggy and smells sour.

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## Frequently asked questions

### Why are my shrubs turning brown?

Usually water: too little from a clogged emitter or the heat, or too much from soggy soil that rots the roots. Sunscald, salt and pests are the other common causes.

### Will a brown shrub come back?

If the twigs bend and are moist under the bark, yes. Water it deeply and prune only the dead parts. If the stems snap all the way to the base, replace it.

### How do I know if my shrub is dead?

Scratch a little bark with your fingernail on several stems. Moist wood underneath means that part is alive. Dry, brittle wood that snaps means it is dead.

### Should I cut off the brown parts of a shrub?

Yes, once you know they are dead. Cut back to live wood or to a healthy branch. If you are not sure, wait a few weeks: some branches leaf out again.

### How often should I water shrubs in the heat?

Established shrubs usually do well with a deep watering once or twice a week in summer. New shrubs need water more often until their roots spread.