In another thread, someone asked what pond plants would thrive in shade. I started a new thread, because it's easier to spot, rather than fish through all the previous posts in that original thread.
-That little star plant, which I forget the name of at the moment, which comes in white or yellow, and it's leaves are heart-shaped and look a lot like a miniature water lily. It comes back every year.
-Water Poppy, which also has a flower, but I don't remember what color. Mine all died and didn't come back in the spring. Plus, the koi ate it.
-I got a cool plant called water hawthorne, which is like a lily, but has long skinny leaves, and really bizarre, waxy flowers clustered like on ginger plants. It dies in the summer, but is green in the winter (in south Texas, that is).
-Also, the water garden place told me that most bog plants do better in shade than most lilies. That would open the door to TONS of choices, if you have a shallow area.