I had found pictures of ninebark in my searches but it didn't quite look like it I didn't think. This one has not yet flowered at any point in the year. I do remember it was fairly expensive (or I thought it was) - like originally $50 and I waited for it to get down to $20 at the end of the year. It seems to want to grow in an arching manner instead of upright which is fine, but it seems a bit odd considering it has almost a woody stalk and leaves that resemble maple leaves.

Thank you so much, Ken, for responding! I am in Dallas. I am 99.9% sure they are all the same thing. They looked all of the same species back in November when we bought the house, the woody parts and bases all look identical, and the new growth appears to have the same features as the existing foliage. The pole, which is one of several, is part of the sprinkler system. Elsewhere in the yard the sprinkler heads are low-profile...not sure why those are so tall?? (We haven't operated it since we moved in as part is malfunctioning, and I am not certain if the previous owners regularly operated it or not...) More pics:

That's what I was thinking, thanks for conforming it.

Hi Gina, no apologies needed:-) people her will chime in on the IDs, it's not a pain at all, and the list is a little less active because it's JUNE, yay, we are all out in the dirt:-) if you don't get a response soon, try this: repost your photos with numbers and just a short request for ID's. That makes it easier for folks to answer. usually you'll get several responses, with each person just IDing a couple plants, rather than one person doing it all. The numbers help make it easier for several folks to each focus on what they know best.