at first glance , looks like Cistis (sure not spelled right ) scotch broom

but who knows , may be some exotic,,,,,,at least to me

ron

I'd start out by giving it a little water.

I've been to Palmdale and I know it's real dry there, but the plants still need water at times.

Mike

Upon googling "scotch broom", the pictures look nothing like what I have shown. And Mike, Give it water? Come on', your joking right? Obviously I would give it water. I am wondering if it is in deed a "pine", "fir"... Or what it is... I cant find any pix of it on the internet.

Not a conifer. Maybe Cassuarina.

It sure looks like the Cassuarina I've seen growing in the sand on the back side of beaches in Hawaii.

Mike

Thanks Mile and Clement.... It sure looks like its from the family "

Casuarinaceae"

Looks to be marginally hardy in your Sunset Zone 11.

Have you looked at Tamarix aphylla?

Mike

Ditto to Casuarina.

Definitely not Common Broom.

As an aside, please note the spelling 'Scot*h' is offensive to many people in Scotland when used for things other than whisky – the correct spelling is Scots or Scottish. Thanks!

Resin

i was also going to suggest tamarix .... if so.. i would/will have pink plume flowers in spring ... no clue if it would grow in socal

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=tamarix&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAWoVChMIs_b2nKb3yAIVgm4mCh1r8Qjy&biw=923&bih=745&dpr=0.9

btw ... though the leaves might look like needles ... that does not limit us to such ...

there are very few deciduous conifers.. and this looks nothing like the ones i am familiar with ...not the i am the be all and end all of that particular knowledge ...

ken

Didn't know

got it ,Resin ,,,,,,,But other than WHISKY ?

ron

Oh , ken , I have a tamarix,,N. Il.

A Tamarix in bloom makes a beautiful bonsai.

No doubt yours is a Casaurina though. In some places it's an exotic invasive , just like Tamarix is in some places.

Mike

When I was in Portugal this fall, I saw these beautifu trees and my first guess was that it is some conifer species:) But it was Casuarina... Very interesting and impressive trees..

Ireena

Indeed, these things are all over S. Florida. I like how they look, and they become large, imposing plants, which I dig, but they are invasive as can be. Don't know for a fact if they are actually displacing native plant communities, a la Malaleuca or Brazilian pepper, but they may run a close second. As such, I shouldn't say "as invasive as can be" but perhaps, a second-tier problem, which in my experience, are usually much, much less a problem than are the tier-ones.

+oM

Agreed, Casuarina. Thanks all for the help. Im glad I saved this little guy. I wonder if it is common for these to grow in the mojave desert? We get 100+ F in summer and below freezing in winter.... Should I bring it indoors for winter?

Below freezing will kill them (unless it's just -1 or -2 briefly)

Resin