Grass alternatives for “Hummingbird Hideaway” in a native, pollinator garden

Hi! I need suggestions but I’m too mentally overwhelmed and physically tired to research. Thank you in advance!

What I need:

A lawn / grass alternative so I can safely walk (currently muddy and slippery) on it as a path through this small patch in the corner of my yard. It also needs to be short because I have neighbors that would prefer that. Also! Needs to be nontoxic for dogs since I have them and the neighbor has a dog.

What I have:

Missouri – 6b

Shaded and mixed shaded area

Wet feet, water bogged clay soil behind the shed and regular clay soil on an incline next to the native, pollinator bed

I am technically willing to use buckwheat as a cover crop for the whole area to first break up the clay soil before ultimately seeding with an alternative.

Bonus points:

Native plants

No mowing or weed eating – low maintenance!

Supports wildlife and or gives additional bonuses for hummingbirds (Fun fact: apparently hummingbird use dandelion fluff to build nests!)

FWIW I’m planning on growing dandelions in pots so it can go to seed for the humming birds – yes, I get that I’m intense. I don’t care.

If you’re interested:

I’m placing a 2ft x 5ft raised bed directly behind the shed that will hold humming bird related, low light plants and some hummingbird safe watering stations. All other grasses will be manually removed before putting in a lawn alternative. I’ll probably put in some beds against the chain link that will hold other plants that require more sunlight. This will leave a walking path between the chain link and the wooden raised bed. I will not be using hummingbird feeders because they’re too high maintenance with needing to clean them every few days. Yes, I will be tidying up all of the stones by that sewer.

If you’re all the way down here…Thank you for reading and for helping me help others!