Selenium accumulators (prince's plume, woody aster, some milkvetches)
Stanleya spp., Xylorhiza spp. (Machaeranthera), Astragalus spp. (indicator species)
- Plant type
- forb
- Settings
- Rangeland
- Risk
- Moderate risk Our rating from the cited sources.
- Review
- Not yet reviewed by a veterinarian.
Photos
Planned.
How to tell it
ARS names some milkvetches, prince's plume and some woody asters as indicator plants; their presence marks selenium-rich soil (ARS).
Look-alikes: Planned.
What to do on a site walk
- Limit time.
- Ask local extension about soil selenium before adding a selenium supplement.
Why it matters
- Toxic principle
- Selenium
- Toxic parts
- Whole plant
- Basis for our rating
- Chewgrass rating. ARS: indicator plants can hold very high selenium and cause acute or chronic poisoning; usually not palatable. Langston lists princess plume and desert aster.
Signs in goats
Acute: labored breathing, unsteady gait, diarrhea, death. Chronic: dullness, rough coat, hair loss, lameness and hoof damage (ARS).
If you think an animal has been poisoned, call your vet right away.
Season
Grows on high-selenium soils; chronic risk builds over weeks of grazing (ARS).
Sources
- USDA ARS Poisonous Plant Research Lab: Selenium Accumulating Plants
- Second source (goats.langston.edu)
Links last checked: 2026-10-31