Desert Plant

I think I understand what you were striving for, but I have a couple of issues with this.  First and most noticable is the cut off branch on the left.  With a small plant like this, it would have been a simple adjustment to include the entire plant.  Secondly, the light is very harsh and, although it creates an interesting shadow pattern, it washes out the color of the plant and causes the dark areas of the plant to compete with the shadows.  Perhaps a diffuser would have helped.  I do like the contrasting colors of the sand and the plant and the overall impact of a living organism struggling to survive in a hostile environment.