It appears to be a Bromeliad, possibly a neoregelia. I would suggest re-posting to the bromeliad forum and someone there can advise you on its care. It likely will hold water in the center if you water it from the top and that is why it is so dry if you have only been watering the soil. In nature, it would fill with water every time it rains. As far as being endangered, that would depend on whether it is a species or hybrid. Good luck with your search. Bob

The holes in the ornamental cherry/plum are likely shot hole fungus, a very common issue with prunus species in our damp climate. It is only cosmetic and is not significant enough of a problem to treat. And it has nothing to do with the type of mulch you use, although the fungal spores carried on fallen leaves can persist over winter if you don't rake and clean up properly. Mulching is very good for the trees for any number of reasons as long as you don't overdo nor pile it up next to the trunk. Wood chip mulch is considered one of the better mulches for this purpose and the presence of mushrooms or other fungal bodies in the mulch is just a sign that it is doing what it should be, beginning to decompose. The majority of fungi associated with decomposition are beneficial to plants in the long run and not disease carrying or pathogenic organisms. I'm not sure what's up with the maple, as these do not tend to get a similar shot hole problem. It could be tar spot or just as easily, small insect damage. Difficult to confirm without photos. And you may want to keep a closer eye on the prunus species - they are prone to a huge number of disease and insect problems, especially in a PNW climate - shot hole is really not a serious issue but various bacterial blights, fire blight, black knot and gummosus are.

Google pear blister mites. That's what it is. You can try spraying with wettable sulfur following the label. If you can find lime sulfur, it is a more effective spray for PBM but the best time to spray is right before the trees leaf out. it won't kill the trees but it sure makes leaves look ugly.

Thank you, I had originally wondered about that but google can be a blessing and a curse because it didn't seem to look like those pictures of scale. I'll start treating immediately!