Plants often found in natural wet areas: viburnum nudum, lindera benzoin (spicebush), cinnamon fern, royal fern, Taxodium distichum (Baldcypress), clethra alnifolia, virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Rhododendron arborescens (Smooth azalea), several dogwoods like Cornus racemosa (not Cornus florida), elderberry (sambucus).

Thanks for the suggestions! We already have some viburnums, but more would be nice. Same for cinnamon ferns.

I really like the buttonbush and smooth azalea ideas. The clethra anifolia, virginia sweetspire, cornus racemosa and sambucus all have merit as well. I appreciate the tips!

Not all viburnums can tolerant wet, but viburnum nudum can. It has to be that one. They sell a cultivar of it now called 'Winterthur'. Isn't that buttonbush unique looking? Very cool.

Good luck! More so than shade, what you plant has to tolerant wet ... cause shade doesn't kill but wet can.

If it is really wet you might want to try that variegated shrub willow Hakuro-nishiki(I think that is what it is). It loves wet and can tolerate some shade too-in fact it can burn a bit in hot sun. I had one in part shade and it did fine and still variegated fairly well.

*It is Salix Integra "Hakuro-Nishiki'.

We have a yard that has thick oak and maple trees that cover almost the entire yard to the east there are trees about the same size (50-75 ft.) so like you we have almost total shade we also have about 50% to 70% clay soil that is hard to grow much in.
The types of plants that are the best for vertical appearance are some types of cattails or similar bog type plants here I've seen cattails grow natively in soil that is nearly entirely clay that is almost always a mud and sometimes boggy.
I don't know if you had thought of trying to make a water garden here we have to dig at least 3' deep due to temps below 0 degrees F but we have floating water hyacinths on a pond during the summer and goldfish in the pond that were feeder fish that have become 6"-8" long from mosquito larvae and also provide the plants with excellent fertilizer. If you have stray cats they will get the slow fish and the others seem to survive the same applies to raccoons and oppossums. The water hyacinths can take over a pond but do very well in the shade. Elephant's Ears have to be dug up but seem to do well in our shade and climate too holly has also done very well as a perinial here. Otherwise between our temperature and soil you have tried everything we have best of luck to you.

"Wet" shouldnt have to mean "bad"! We have a shady backyard marsh full of wonderful native plants. The too-squishy-to-walk-in portions are covered in skunk cabbage right now, absolutely lush-looking. The surrounding areas that are constantly wet but not quagmire contain ferns, witchhazel, spicebush, jack-in-the-pulpit, indian pipe, rue, spiderwort, bleeding heart, irises, vibernum of some sort, and other things that I havenÂt identified yet. Consider your wet bit of property as an opportunity to have fun with unusual plants  and do some research into what grows natively in your area for ideas. Cheers!

Stoloniferous, that might be viburnum nudum ... it likes wet.

You may want to do a search for "rain garden". I have a shady rain garden and in it I am growing columbine, zig zag goldenrod, cardinal flowers, brown eyed susan, fox sedge, swamp milkweed, narrow leaved purple coneflowers, and a button bush.

I have a moist shade garden myself, though the soil is woodland soil, rich and black, and not clay. In my garden I have mostly Astilbe, though I also have cimicifuga (common names are bugbane, cohosh, or snake root), Aruncus dioicus (common name goat's beard), Chelone (common name turtlehead), and Ligularia. I also have creeping Jenny as a ground cover. There are also Arisaemas (Jack-in-the-Pulpit)gowing in there as volunteers, as well as some woodland ferns. Ostrich fern likes wet areas, and can get to 4' high.

Karen