Toxic Plant: Rocky Mountain Iris (Iris missouriensis)

Rocky Mountain Iris is a toxic plant impacting cattle (especially calved) in southern Navajo and Apache Counties and Northern Greenlee County. The plant is a wild Iris that grows up to 12 inches tall. Flower is blue to purple with a yellow stripe on the petals. The leaves look similar to grass until plant is full grown. It is usually found in high altitude ponderosa pine or spruce-fir forests, and in heavily grazed areas with seasonally moist meadows. The plant spreads by seed and rhizome. It can easily out-compete grasses certain years.