I lived in the high desert for 5 years. It is dry, dry, dry 95% of the time, mostly hot-very hot-freezing. It doesn't normally drop lower than 10�. The plant is beautiful but nothing you want to nuzzle. I would definitely go with seed - first because the trees are illegal to remove, second because they are covered with parasites in the wild. We had one in the front yard for 4 years (bought from a local nursery) and it didn't grow, rotted at the base and died. You're in Michigan? That's some serious Dr. Frankenstein stuff. I support you. Good luck!

Do you know where your seed was collected? Joshua tree habitat includes altitudes from 1,500' to 7,200' and winter lows as low as -15F in the northern part of its range, but in the southern part of its range, winter lows are much less severe. It survives out of habitat pretty well in Salt Lake City and Albuquerque, and if planted as a seed grown plant it will even thrive in Vancouver, WA so I think you have a chance. I also know of a small one in Bremerton. Plants dug from the wild are more apt to have problems out of habitat. With seed-grown, containerized plants I think you have a pretty good chance.

I have a Halesia Carolina in my yard, and every year in late Spring I am drawn to the area where it's planted by an incredible scent. The flowers remain on the tree only for about a week and a half, so I can't be sure if it's the Halesia, or the wild honeysuckle. I can't find a reference on the net that says that the Halesia is a fragrant plant, but it's a real magnet for me in the spring. If you look around your area for the seed pods/drupes, and find them, we may have solved a mutual mystery. Please keep me informed. Thanks.

Ahhh ok. Drought is quite a bit different from an arid climate. I do recall seeing that NW Georgia has been in a rather severe drought for some time. Still, I don't think that climate is anything close to what could support Joshua Trees. We have TONS of Yuccas here in our area, and they do just fine as well in our humidity, including a few "tree" type, such as Y. Rostrata. I know of several that are 15+ feet tall and branching. They actually look a bit similar to Joshua trees when they branch, tho to me they are more graceful and have a slightly more tropical look. Ive seen some significant re bloom on Yuccas up here this fall as well. Probably because it got cold briefly, then warmed back up. You could always just try and grow Y. brevifolia var jaegeriana, but I would expect it to die in the long term and not attain too much height. That way, if it DOES actually survive, you (and many aothers) will be pleasantly surprised. =o) I still think that they are a long shot anywhere out east tho as they are VERY particular about their climate though, especially the need for extremely low humidity, and some very cold spells.