It's not native, and it's spreading into southeastern forests. The Piedmont has already been damaged enough. https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2097

the pic closeup... fails to provide a scale ... how long are those leaves??? it reminds me of https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Cerastium+tomentosum+&t=ffcm&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images aka snow in the summer... but i have no idea what or how it is doing in AZ ... lol .. as i said.. you just triggered a childhood memory ... i cant fathom thats what it is ... ken

the root flare is your guide ... https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=tree+root+flare&iax=images&ia=images if there isnt one for some odd reason... plant it just above the first root ... snap some pix ... if you want input ... i dont understand if they were just planted ... im not sure i would dig up an established tree to lift it.. if its very slight.. again... pix ... whats all the yellow stuff in the first pic.. im not sure i would be putting time release on tree this time of year ... and definitely not that much ... and definitely not on a new transplant ... ken

Yes, I discovered this plant as a "houseplant" decades ago at a nursery tending toward more unusual plants in the trade, and found it impossible to attain again in the northern plant trade. It's funny, I find that the thorns add a certain charm to the plant, but as said above, there are thornless ones available (in both dwarf and non dwarf). Both are suited for bonsai btw, and they have a very nice horizontal manner of spreading, almost like a ground cover, and aromatic flowers are a plus. I am currently growing the thornless non-dwarf. They should be more available than they are in the interior plant trade as they do quite well inside.