One native shrub that often gets overlooked is viburnum. There are more than 150 species of viburnums, ranging in size from a compact 3-foot shrub to a small tree. Most shrubs grow to be around 6- to 12-feet tall, making them great hedges and foundation plants.
Viburnums are winter hardy, adaptable shrubs and grow in full or part sun. The most popular types include the American and European Cranberry Bush and the Korean Spice and Judd Viburnums. Other types include the Blackhaw Viburnum which has black fruits and reddish-purple fall foliage, the Nannyberry Viburnum which can grow into a 20-foot tall tree and the Wild Raisin Viburnum which has berries in fall.
The biggest problem on viburnums is the viburnum leaf beetle. This is a relatively new pest and it attacks certain types, favoring the American and European Viburnums and Arrow Wood Viburnum. The larvae defoliate the shrub leaving just leaf skeletons. Although a healthy shrub will leaf out again, it can weaken the plant. The best control is to grow pest-resistant viburnums or prune off egg-infested leaf tips in late winter.
