Yeah I have been debating on if I should cut it down or not, but I wanted to know what type of tree it was first. Since it's native I would rather just let it grow, although it is about to reach the power lines.

I live in DFW also and have been concerned about the number of unhealthy or dead trees in our area. I have a live oak that has black knots on the branches, and two bradford pears (2 year old plantings) in the back of the house, one in the front. The two in the back started showing signs of stress in early spring (droopy leaves, slight discoloration, then a few small branches with leaves that looked burnt and brown. I had an arborist come out and look at them (waste of money around here...he was fairly clueless), took samples to local nurseries, and did research myself. If one person would say bugs, the other would say drought, and yet another would say fungus (but none of them knew what kind). All told me to treat the trees with a fungal/insecticide mixture. After treatment, one of the back yard pears browned and died in a week, the other has held on for months but now is browning quickly. The trees in front are starting to show the same pattern of tree death as are many, MANY trees and bushes of all ages, types and sizes in the Arlington/Grand Prairie area. I just cannot figure out what is going on. Apparently, neither can the professionals. I, like many around here, am urgently looking for answers.

Okay, y'all are gonna love this. I drove out to that house again yesterday, talked to the owner and took some pictures. Unfortunately, the pictures will have to wait, as I'm on my way out of town for the day/night. BUT, they were HEALTHY and the elderly man said his wife moved them there from the next door neighbor's property years ago when the neighbor died, and he does absolutely NOTHING for them. They were on the east side of the house which blocks the afternoon sun, and I'm guessing they get a few hours of direct sun from maybe 10-2? They blooms were fading, but looked like they'd weathered all our recent storms well. I'll post the pictures as soon as I can, probably tomorrow afternoon. I haven't researched the climate here, and I've lived here less than a year, but it seems to be similar to DFW area, except a good bit more hot & dry.

Miscanthus sinensis. But there are many different cultivars.