Texture

 I have a texture problem.  And now is the time of year to brainstorm changes for next year.  My front garden bed has too many Daylilies.  Too much grassy texture. I need to change out the one in the middle.  For one thing, it is a very late bloomer and it doesn't do anything deserving centerpiece billing until too late.  

These are all divisions from the next bed so #1 they coordinate, and #2 they were free.  The center is an almost white lily.  I have it in a couple of front locations and background locations elsewhere.  It is fine as a background plant, but it is starting to bore me as a front line plant and it is definitely NOT a centerpiece plant.

The bed not ALL grassy texture.  The blue circles (below) are Geum that have round leaves and grow in a tight mound, and the yellow circles are Clematis bush which has a really nice texture and more twiggy structure.  .....when you are standing close.  Its way too subtle to even show up in a photo.  Its more noticeable in person.  The Clematis will eventually be taller, close to three feet, once it has been established a few years.

Next spring I want to dig that center lily out and replace it with something else.  Something not too tall.  Something that has form and presence.  A big, bold Hosta would look perfect but this is full sun and almost any Hosta will bleach in this much sun.  It needs to be something that isn't medium green.  I was thinking a Tiny Wine Ninebark or maybe a dwarf Birch.  But I'm not sure I want something shrubby.

The reason for this is that this bed can get dumped on with snow.  It would have to have one of those wooden teepees to protect it.  Which isn't a deal breaker, but maybe I can find a perennial that can be cut down like the lilies.  And another thing about shrubs is that despite pruning they tend to eventually outgrow their spot and cannot be divided. The Clematis "shrub" is actually a perennial and can be divided.  It doesn't have to be deer resistant because I spray the daylilies and clematis anyway.  

A butterfly bush would be a possibility, but they can be so finicky and decide to die without warning.  Maybe a Summersweet.  I don't know much about those but it looks like it would fit the bill.  In short, it has to be something cool that I don't already have and have no experience with because I've thought about everything I already use, and none of it will do what I want here.  

Any ideas?  Something that will be hardy in zone 4/5