Desert-Fir or Pygmy-Cedar, Peucephyllym schottii

Photo of Desert-Fir, about 5 feet tall and 6 feet wide, dotted with yellow flowers attended by bees. In South Fork of Palm Wash near the Calcite Mine in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Whether you call it Pygmy-Cedar because of the fragrance and because it is smaller than the tall cedars of the forest, or Desert-Fir (or Dwarf-Fir) because the leaves resembles those of the fir tree, a Peucephyllum schottii is always a pleasure to find.

Bees think the same way, especially when the shrub's flowers are rich with yellow pollen. The bees get busy removing the pollen to reveal a red base (photo below).

The specimen shown is more than six feet tall. Look for Pygmy-Cedar in sandy washes and on rocky slopes.

It may seem strange but Pygmy-Cedar is a member of the Sunflower Family, Asteraceae.

Photo of bee gathering pollen from Desert-Fir in South Fork of Palm Wash near Calcite Mine.