Kochia
Bassia scoparia (Kochia scoparia)
- Plant type
- forb (annual)
- Settings
- Disturbed ground
- Risk
- Moderate risk Our rating from the cited sources.
- Review
- Not yet reviewed by a veterinarian.
Photos
Planned.
How to tell it
Bushy annual up to about 5 ft, with many branched stems and thin, flat, narrow leaves (Merck).
Look-alikes: Planned.
What to do on a site walk
- Limit time.
- Avoid stressed dense stands.
Why it matters
- Toxic principle
- Nitrate; oxalates
- Toxic parts
- Leaves and stems
- Basis for our rating
- Chewgrass rating. ARS lists kochia among nitrate accumulators; Merck lists cattle and sheep.
Signs in goats
Nitrate signs (ARS); weight loss and sunburn-like skin damage (Merck).
If you think an animal has been poisoned, call your vet right away.
Season
Nitrate rises after drought, frost or herbicide spraying (ARS).
Sources
- USDA ARS Poisonous Plant Research Lab: Nitrate Accumulating Plants
- Second source (merckvetmanual.com)
Links last checked: 2026-10-31