Cimicifuga grows up to 6 feet tall and mine is growing in total shade on the north side of our house. I find that kierengoshoma also gets very tall and bushes out nicely. It is a perennial, but looks more like a shrub when it fills out. This too I have on the north side in total shade.

The silver maple is much more of a problem than the shade. These trees have incredibly agressive roots which take up any available moisture and nutrients. Virginia W's suggstions will grow in quite deep shade, but are not likely to compete well with the maple, especially kierengoshoma which needs lots of water. Perhaps your best bet is to visit a good local nursery and ask their advice.

I find Kirengeshoma koreana a little more sensitive water-wise than K. palmata (or palmatum; whatever), which is a surprisingly tough plant. And fabulous looking.
A plant that does well for me in nearly total shade and dry conditions is Sambucus nigra 'variegata'. I have no idea what zone it is hardy to. You can prune it to your preferred height. Osmanthus is another shrub that might work. Or philadelphus.
How about polygonatum (solomon's seal) - if it's hardy for you, that is. Enrich the soil a tad and it might get tall enough.
Failing all that, consider ferns. A polystichum such as a sword fern might work.
Or... a rhodo.

If you decide on a moisture loving plant, you could line the planting hole with a heavy plastic to retain some moisture and not have it sucked away by the maple. I have a Cimicifuga in a large bed I made using an old waterbed liner. Ligularias also like the added moisture, and siberian Iris.

Anyone have any ideas if I didn't want trees? I don't want anything that will have a large root system. The soil stays moist and is heavy clay. However, my area does get a few hours of morning and afternoon sun from late spring thru early fall. I am thinking a mix of plants because this area is over a hundred feet long.

I have a similar situation with all those utility inlets and pipes and meters and such. What I'm doing with it is making a tall narrow box like a grandfather clock out of 2x2's, covering the 3 exposed sides with privacy lattice and cutting out a hole large enough to expose the meter for the meter-reader-guy to see it. The whole box will be pushed right tight to the house and eye hooks used to secure it to the house but with the ability to move it away from the house if need-be. On either side I'm building small cedar boxes so that a climbing vine such as clematis, honeysuckle or ivy can be grown on either side of it.

Farther back in the side yard I have this octopus of pipes that comes out of the foundation of the house about 2' above the ground. I wasn't sure what to do about that because one pipe is the sump pump outlet and needs to be able to expel any surplus water from around the foundation. Then there are 3 others, one must be the exhaust from our furnace or water heater (or both) and not sure what the other one is. They all come out of the wall side by side and it's an "ugly sight" to be sure. So what I'm thinking of doing is building a cedar gardening table up against the house there and having the vents inside an enclosed storage space (no floor and spaces between the slats of cedar to allow airflow in and out. I figure I can store my watering cans and plastic pots in there too. The sump drain will just have to be routed underground using "big-o" and come out at the edge of my property...nothing much more I can do about that. :o/

I totally hear ya about the "UNattractiveness" of it all.

Barb
Ontario, CANADA