Texas Gardening: Suggestions needed for a "non-blooming" plant, 1 by ceejaytown

ceejaytown wrote:
We just had two humongous sago palms removed. One was located inside the screened-in pool area, next to the screened door, and the other was just outside and on the other side of the screened door. We were always getting injured by them, and finally decided that they were just too dangerous to keep. Too many people, and grandkids, getting impaled by those sharp needles.

Now I need to replace them with something else, and here's my problem. I can't have anything inside the pool area that attracts hummingbirds. They fly at break neck speeds into that screen to get to the flowers, and become stuck in the screen. I've never found a live one, so it probably breaks their necks. It just made me sick, so a few years ago I removed all flowering plants to see it that would have any impact. It worked, and for the last several years we haven't lost any hummers to the screen.

I'm racking my brain, and I know there must be a simple solution, but I'm blank. Can you all help me with suggestions? We set our potted meyer lemon outside the screen, but need something for inside the pool area. A shrub would be my preference, I think. Something larger, but not too wide so as not to get in the way of that screened door. The area is in almost full sun, until about three o'clock.

Here is a photo of the sago palm four years ago - it had grown much larger. This will give you an idea of the space available for a new plant. Thanks so much for any help...