It is a rhizomatous, beardless perennial plant, native to the Himalayas, India and China.

[2][3] It has a short, thick, fleshy, greenish rhizomes,[4][5][6] which are 1–1.5 cm in diameter,[7] they are larger than other crested irises.

[7] The stems (and the branches) hold between 3 and 4 flowers,[7] in early summer,[4][12] between April and May,[7][11] or May to July.

[8] The falls are reflexed,[4][23] obovate,[7] 3 cm long,[4] with a blade marked with dark purple, violet or lilac, lines, spots or mottled (streaks or blotches),[16][19][20] it has a finely fringed,[18] or toothed,[4] orange,[7][14][16] or white,[18][8] or yellow crest (or ridge).

[7] It has reddish purple, or lilac style branches, which are 3 cm long with deeply fringed (fimbriated) edges.

[7][13] After the iris has flowered, it produces an ovoid-globose,[7] or ovoid-cylindrical seed capsule,[2][9] between June and August.

[7] Inside the capsule, are pyriform (pear shaped) black brown seeds,[2][7] with a white aril.

[7] In May 1984, a study was carried out on the rhizomes of Iris milesii, to ascertain their chemical constituency.

[23][29] It is written as 红花鸢尾 in Chinese script,[7] and known as hong hua yuan wei in Pidgin in China.

[7][28] The Latin specific epithet milesii refers to Mr Frank Miles, who introduced it into cultivation in about 1880.

[3][8][13][15] These plants were grown from seeds collected by his cousin in the Kulu district to the north of Simla.

[30] It grows in the conifer forest margins of hillsides,[11][17][19] in meadows,[11] in open groves (and clearings),[19] and wet valleys.

[11][22] It prefers to have moisture during the growing season, but it will not survive in waterlogged sites/[18] It can be grown in mixed flower border,[11][14][6] or rock gardens.

[11] Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting.