This height (ish) would be nice, also, doesn't have to be a shrub

Tell us more. Sun, shade, would you like flowers? Something reasonably dense for privacy?

For some reason, the first thing that came to my mind is a tree peony.

To add to mad_gallica's questions, is your soil acidic and is it more clayish or looser loam or even sandy?

The shrubs I suggested on the thread where you asked to have this ID'ed are all happiest with acidic soil, but if they have acidic soil are low maintenance and have at least two seasons of interest.

A couple of larger perennials that aren't fussy about pH but like sun are Amsonia hubrichtii (Arkansas bluestar) and Baptisia.

Is this a deck? Does it need some shade? Is this where the shade plant would go? Is this the only plant near the deck? Perhaps a picture that shows the whole picture would help.

Since its next to the deck, I'd want something showy: the tree peony that MG suggested, a rose, or a lacecap hydrangea would all be nice choices.

Tree peonies are showy but the bloom period is short. The roses would flower in succession and the lacecaps, although they'd only flower once, have very longlasting blooms.

Hydrangea paniculata has a large variety of cultivars to choose from so you should be able to find one that suits the space size-wise. They bloom longer than almost anything else in my garden, 4 months for some cultivars that start early and continue blooming until frost.

While I love my two H. paniculatas, I think that the flowers really stink. Mine are about 15 feet from the front porch and I can still smell them on the porch. Mine are old (at least 80 years old), and God knows what variety they are, so maybe the newer ones don't smell as bad. Also, every pollinator known to mankind loves the flowers, and you might not want that right by the deck.

Tree peonies, roses, and H. paniculata need sun, and lots of it, while the lace cap hydrangeas don't like the sun, so you need to tell us about how much sun that spot gets.

beautyberry??

a better pic of the area.. might help.. dont understand how deep the bed is ... and whats around it.. etc ....

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=beautyberry&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjcufWQscbPAhVn2IMKHZ7NAFIQ_AUICCgB&biw=927&bih=745&dpr=0.9

Ken - Here's the setting taken from this post

I would go with something like firethorn or rose of sharon. With that fence you could espalier them, along with something like pears/apples. They have demonstrated this at biltmore, I am looking to train some of my own.

Those are some basic espaliers, you could go with something more elaborate but the fancier it is the more work it takes. I have even seen pictures of them made into archways. Here are some more pictures of these tortured.... I mean espaliered (LOL) trees/shrubs:

https://www.google.com/search?site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=635&q=espalier&oq=espalier&gs_l=img.3...1109.4842.0.4980.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..0.0.0.r5WPgtM_W5M#imgrc=_

I don't blame you for wanting to get rid of it. Looks like a burning bush to me (euonymus). I had some once - they were monsters.

It is definitely euonymus alatus, burning bush. These are very adaptable and forgiving shrubs, and when given room to grow can make a very nice border or foundation planting (when paired with other evergreen(s) ).

Euonymus alatus is invasive, seeding into wild areas via birds. The OP has said he want to get rid of it since it's totally inappropriate for the spot, so please stop extolling it on this thread.

Espaliers don't fit the request for low maintenance.

I am glad that Ken asked about the surroundings, since now that I look at the photo above, I think that many of the shrubs along the same side of the deck to the right look like ones that will get too large for the space based on how much they have grown since their last pruning. If you don't want to spend a fair amount of time pruning, you may want to replace those as well. So you'll want to decide if you want a variety of shrubs or a set of all of one kind.

"I think that the flowers really stink." That's a really interesting observation. Is that only when they are newly flowering or during their whole bloom period? If it's longer term, I'll have to go check mine out, though I can't say I've ever noticed any scent at all from either my H. paniculata Pinky Winky or Quickfire, and I am fairly fussy about scents. I learn something new on GW all the time.

TNC, based on what I can see in the photo, it looks like a sunny spot for at least a chunk of the day; is that true?

Since comments about flowers and insects have come up, do you want showy flowers? Is anyone who would be using the deck either seriously stressed by having insects nearby or allergic to bees?

Have you had issues with deer?

Are you looking for privacy and so want something dense?

Please don't consider pyracantha: its called firethorn because it has prominent thorns and when they poke you it burns like fire. Around here, people grow it espaliered against the chimney (it needs support or will break apart in a heavy snow). A beautiful plant in its place but not by the deck.

I've never noticed a scent from my hydrangea paniculatas either. I think its too late in the season for the sniff test now, my panicles are dried on the bush, turning pink.

I don't think the OP has deer because the landscape photos show gorgeous hostas. I'm still thinking hydrangeas even though the deck is sunny since she's in Canada.

You could even espalier some fruit trees, pears, apples,etc. I have also seen some nice espaliered rose of sharon.

Espaliering is about the opposite of low maintenance, which is what the OP is looking for.

NHBabs, our H.paniculatas start to get stinky as soon as the flower-heads are all open, then P U. As I said, whatever variety they are is an old one, so maybe the stink has been bred out of them. Do yours get the cloud of pollinators around them while in bloom? It looks like a haze around the whole tree.

It gets full sun starting late morning. No deer, fenced in. Bees aren't an issue . Would actually love to help them out . Don't need privacy, would love flowers.