21 Different Butterfly Bush Varieties For Your Garden

Thinking of adding some butterfly bush to your garden this season but aren't quite sure which type to plant? There are many different varieties you can choose from, depending on your hardiness zone. In this article, gardening expert Jill Drago looks at some of the most popular varieties of butterfly bush you can grow!

butterfly bush varieties

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Gardeners have grown to love the butterfly bush for all it has to offer. Beautiful silvery green foliage, paired with bright colored flowers easily fill garden spaces with their beautiful vase shaped growing habit.

You can find butterfly bushes in many different sizes from a compact two foot flowering shrub, all the way to a 10 foot shrub. Whichever size suits your garden, you can find one to suit your needs. They can be planted in a container, or in perennial gardens or as a foundation plant. But which type of butterfly bush should you plant? Are there specific varieties that are better suited to your garden than others?

Before you start planting, we’d like to say that this species can be considered invasive in some areas. Always do your research to see if the variety is eligible to be planted in your hardiness zone.

So, if you have been wanting to expand your butterfly bush collection, but don’t know where to start, we’ve hand picked some of our favorite butterfly bush varieties that will suit anyone’s gardening needs. Ready to learn more? Let’s dig in!

‘Asian Moon’

Close-up of an 'Asian Moon' flowering shrub. Many small dark purple flowers with bright orange eyes collected in one large elongated cluster of blooms. The background is a blurry summer garden with two young clusters of flower buds.
This gorgeous species produces purple flowers with a delicate honey scent.
  • Plant Size: 5-7 feet tall and 5-7 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: Purple
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-10

If you are looking for a large flowering shrub for a full size spot in your garden, this could be the answer you are looking for! ‘Asian Moon’ offers deep purple flowers on a shrub that can reach up to 7 feet in height.

This height would make ‘Asian moon’ a great choice for an anchor in your garden, perhaps on a corner of your home or possibly even used as a privacy screen. The added bonus of the honey scented blossoms will fill your summer nights with happiness.

‘Black Knight’

Close-up of the colorful flowers of the flowering bush 'Black Knight'. The deep, rich purple blooms have small yellow or orange eyes that create the perfect contrast within themselves. There are a pair of light green thin slightly elongated leaves on the stem. Blurred green background.
This variety blooms with rich purple flowers with small yellow eyes.
  • Plant Size: 6-8 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Flower color: dark purple
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-9

‘Black knight’ really packs a punch in the flower department. The deep, rich purple flowers feature small yellow or orange eyes making the perfect contrast within itself. This is a larger shrub. If you have the space this is well worth planting.

The flowers have a lovely aroma. Plant near a place where you hang out often so that you can enjoy the scent as well as the beautifully colored flowers.  ‘Black knight’ is a nice hardy shrub that will continue to perform for years to come.

‘Blue Chip Jr.’

Close-up of a flowering plant, a variety called 'Blue Chip Jr.' Many small purple-blue flowers with orange eyes are densely collected in an oblong flower cluster. Green foliage on a bush. Against the background is a blurry bush with unblown inflorescences.
This gorgeous compact variety has beautiful purple-blue flowers.
  • Plant Size: 2- 2 ½ feet tall and 2 ½ feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: Violet Blue
  • Hardiness Zone:  5-9

A dwarf version of ‘Blue Chip’, junior has a lot to offer! The flowers bloom earlier than they do on the larger variety, giving your garden extra time with these pretty violet blue flowers. The foliage on ‘Blue chip Jr.’ is soft and silver, accenting the flowers very nicely.

The compact size of this variety makes it versatile in your garden. Add it to containers, or as a border plant that could line a patio or a walkway. This is a non-invasive variety that you can plant safely in your gardens with confidence.

‘Flutterby Grande Vanilla Nectar’

Close-up of a blooming plant variety of butterfly bush 'Flutterby Grande Vanilla Nectar'. Delicate cream-colored flowers with orange eyes are collected in a large inflorescence. A small unflowered green inflorescence grows from the same bush. Back blurred background of green butterfly bushes growing in the garden with purple blooms.
This variety produces incredibly delicate cream-colored flowers.
  • Plant Size: 4-6 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: Cream
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-9

Butterfly bushes are not just for the bright color lovers of the world. If you are looking for a more neutral shade, the creamy tone of ‘vanilla nectar’ will add soft white flowers in the form of a shrub into your gardens.

This is a member of a large collection of different cultivars called Flutterby. This collection is entirely seed free and non-invasive. Plant ‘vanilla nectar’ as a hedge or use it as a backdrop in a perennial garden. This creamy variety will blend well with anything you have in your garden.

‘Flutterby Petite Snow White’

A close-up of the flowers of the small-flowered plant 'Flutterby Petite Snow White.' Small snow-white flowers with orange eyes bloom on a strong stem covered with bright green foliage. The sun's rays illuminate the blooms and foliage of the plant. Blurred summer garden background.
This compact flowering shrub produces white flowers and gorgeous green foliage.
  • Plant Size: 2- 2 ½ feet tall and 2- 2 ½ feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Flower Color: White
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-9

The name of this variety says it all. This compact flowering shrub has crisp white leaves and slender green foliage. The spiked flowers will only reach about four inches in length.

I think ‘snow white’ would be really pretty planted in a mass along a walkway or patio so you get the full impact of the intricately beautiful flowers. ‘Snow white’ would also be well used in containers due to its compact nature. This is a seedless variety and will bloom all summer long.

‘Glass Slippers’

Close-up of two branches with beautiful large blooms of the 'Glass Slippers' variety. Each cluster or blooms has many miniature blue periwinkle flowers with orange eyes. Dark green foliage hangs from branches. The background is a blurred green garden with rays of the summer sun.
‘Glass Slippers’ produces incredible blue periwinkle flowers with silvery foliage.
  • Plant size: 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: Blue
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-10

When you think of glass slippers you think of Cinderella, right? Well this variety is covered with the most beautiful periwinkle blue flowers that are just about as close to Cinderella’s gown as any flower could get.

The foliage is silver, giving the plant a softness that is often needed in full sun gardens. ‘Glass slippers’ is low growing but wide making it a great choice for planting along a foundation under some windows where you will be able to see the flowers, but they won’t block your entire view.

‘Honeycomb’

Close-up shot of a yellow flowering 'Honeycomb' butterfly bush against a clear blue sky. This tall variety has yellow flowers with orange eyes, giving the whole plant a honey color. Most of the flowers are in focus, while the rest is a little blurry.
This is an incredibly colorful variety that blooms with bright yellow flowers with orange eyes.
  • Plant size: 5-7 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: full sun
  • Flower Color: Yellow
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-9

‘Honeycomb’ is a fun shrub that I wish I would see more often. This flowering shrub has light orange flowers with orange eyes giving the overall plant a honey color. Continue to deadhead the flowers of ‘honeycomb’ to ensure a longer bloom time that can sometimes last until the first frost.

Butterflies are greatly attracted to the yellow color of these flowers as well as the honey scented aroma that wafts out of the flowers. Plant anywhere with plenty of sun that has enough room to accommodate the height.

‘Hot Raspberry’

Close-up of a Cabbage White Butterfly feeding on nectar from a 'Hot Raspberry' variety of shrub. The butterfly is white with two black dots on each wing. The flowers are incredibly bright purple-pink with orange eyes. Blurred silvery foliage of a butterfly bush in the background.
This variety has bright pink flowers that bloom from early summer through fall.
  • Plant Size: 3-5 feet tall and 3 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: Magenta
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-9

This middle-sized shrub with bright pink flowers can offer plenty of versatility. This shrub has gorgeously contrasting silver foliage against the bright pop of magenta pink flowers. While the flowers are still in tight buds they almost appear lavender in color.

‘Hot raspberry’ begins flowering  profusely in early summer and will carry on this way into the fall. Plop this variety into your perennial gardens, or use it in large containers for a change of pace. Don’t forget to snip these flowers as well as their foliage for use in your bouquets and arrangements.

‘InSpired Pink’

Close-up of a Red Admiral Butterfly sitting with its wings spread on the pink flowers of the "InSpired pink" Butterfly Bush. The butterfly is black with orange stripes on the lower edges of the wings and sides, as well as white spots on the upper edges of the wings. Small incredibly delicate flowers of a light pink hue with orange eyes are collected in a long string of blooms. The sun's rays partially illuminate the flowering branch. Blurred green summer garden background.
‘InSpired pink’ has beautiful long soft pink flowers with orange eyes.
  • Plant Size: 4-6 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full zone
  • Flower Color: Light Pink
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-9

If you are seeking a plant for your cottage style gardens, I would give ‘InSpired pink’ a try. This noninvasive variety has beautiful long flowers in a delicate shade of pink with orange eyes.

This variety is large enough to be a statement plant in your gardens, or tucked into your full sun perennial gardens or even into a container. The flowers on ‘InSpired pink’ are long blooming and very fragrant.

Don’t miss the chance to cut these blossoms for an arrangement or a summer bouquet for a friend. Another great use of ‘InSpired pink’ is a mass planting used as a hedge or privacy screen. The vase shape and the arching branches would accent your walkways or patios very nicely.

‘Ivory’

Close-up of the white cluster of flowers of the 'Ivory' butterfly bush. The flowers are incredibly small delicate white with orange eyes. The inflorescence grows vertically and the tapering end leans down. In the background is a plant that has already faded with brown dried flowers. The background is blurry.
This type of butterfly bush produces crisp white flowers that make a great addition to your flower garden.
  • Plant size: 3-4 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: full sun
  • Flower color: White
  • Hardiness zone: 5-9

‘Ivory’ has a really nice upright growing habit. The crisp white flowers stand up strong and straight. When planted in the right conditions ‘ivory’ will bloom from late spring through the fall, making it a perfect selection for containers that will last you through the growing season.

Growing up to four feet tall and wide, ‘ivory’ would make a suitable foundation planting. It would also be beautiful when planted on its own or as a backdrop for your perennial gardens.

‘Lilac Cascade’

Close-up of the lilac cascade blooms of the butterfly bush. The flowers are small pale lilac with orange eyes. The foliage is bright green. The foreground and background are slightly blurred.
Lilac Cascade produces beautiful light purple colored flowers up to 18 inches long.
  • Plant Size: 5- 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: full sun
  • Flower color: light purple
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-10

As opposed to many of the varieties that have an upward and outward flowering habit, the ‘lilac cascade’ has a beautiful weeping habit. Paired with its lovely lilac colored flowers it is reminiscent of wisteria.

These flowers are large and jam packed with flowers reaching up to 18  inches in length. Plant this shrub in a place where it will not be missed, possibly near a lamp post or doorway.

‘Miss Molly’

Close-up of a Miss Molly Black eastern tiger butterfly perched on beautiful 'Miss Molly' flowers. Butterflies are brown in color with dark brown stripes on the wings and black semi-circular patterns with white-orange spots on the edges of the wings. Tiny bright pink, wine-colored flowers with orange eyes are collected in one large cluster. Blurred green bushes background.
This variety produces magnificent burgundy flowers that bloom from late spring until the first frost.
  • Plant Size: 4-5 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: Red/ Pink
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-9

With pretty wine colored flowers, ‘miss molly’ is a welcome sight to any garden. Blooming from late spring until first frost, this variety reaches a good height for many garden scenarios.

Plant ‘miss molly’ as a hedge for privacy, or as a foundation plant. The growth habit of ‘miss molly’ is neat and will not become unruly. This is a noninvasive variety that you can plant in your garden without any worry.

‘Miss Pearl’

Close-up of the flower cluster of a 'Miss Pearl' Butterfly Bush. The flowers are white with orange eyes. The leaves are silvery green. Against the background are blurred flowers blooming alongside the white flowers.
This variety will suit any of your perennial gardens with its delicate white flowers and strong honey scent.
  • Plant Size: 4-5 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: White
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-9

‘Miss pearl’ is a noninvasive variety. It is the perfect size shrub to fit into any of your perennial gardens, or to use in a cottage foundation garden. The flowers are white, and have a strong honey fragrance. Even without deadheading, ‘Miss Pearl’ will be covered in dozens of flowers all season long.

The leaves are a pretty silver green, and will last all season long. Use this plant as a hedge for privacy, or in containers scattered throughout your yard and enjoy the butterflies that ‘Miss Pearl’ attracts.

‘Pink Delight’

Pink Delight Buddleja davidii (spelling variant Buddleia davidii), also called summer lilac, or orange eye, is a species of flowering plant in the family Scrophulariaceae.
‘Pink Delight’ blooms with incredibly beautiful clusters of pink flowers.
  • Plant Size: 6-8 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: Pink
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-9

A popular pink blooming variety, ‘pink delight’ is full of beautiful clusters of true pink flowers that will last through the summer into the fall. This is a larger shrub that would be pretty in a large perennial garden, or as a hedge With the larger size of the shrub, also comes massively large cones of flowers.

These flowers can reach up to 15 inches in length. ‘Pink delight’ will die back to the ground in zone 5, but do not worry – it will return stronger than ever in the spring.

‘Pink Micro Chip’

A close-up of a gorgeous butterfly with spread wings perched on a 'Pink Micro Chip' variety of shrub. The butterfly has dark orange wings fading to brown closer to the body. The edges of the wings are light brown with black-yellow-orange spots on the edges of the wings that resemble eyes. Small flowers of bright pink color with orange eyes are collected in clusters. The background is blurry green.
This tiny plant produces pink orchid flowers that bloom before other butterfly bushes.
  • Plant Size: 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: Pink
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-9

Don’t have the space for a larger variety, but you are dying to give this plant a try? ‘Pink Micro Chip’ is the perfect plant for you. With pretty orchid pink flowers, this tiny mounded plant will fit snuggly and happily into your perennial gardens.

Another bonus is that this member of the ‘Lo and Behold’ collection will begin blooming earlier than the rest of the butterfly bushes you may be used to seeing. Use as a border plant, or as I have mentioned a beautiful addition to your perennial garden.

‘Prince Charming’

Close-up of the flowers of the popular butterfly bush plant 'Prince Charming'. Small bright pink flowers with orange eyes are collected in clusters. The background is green blurred.
‘Prince Charming’ will make a great addition to your garden because of its incredibly large and showy flowers.
  • Plant Size: 3-4 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Zone
  • Flower Color: Hot pink
  • Hardiness zone: 5-9

A great bright pink option for your garden is ‘Prince Charming’. This medium sized shrub has a nice mounded form, and will have flowers blooming from the lowest branches to the highest.

These bright pink flowers can reach up to ten inches in length, adding an elegant drama to your landscape. Try planting ‘prince charming’ with some darker leaved perennials or annuals for a nice contrast that will really make the bright pink of this shrub pop.

‘Pugster White’

A close up of a small cluster of white flowers blooming in a long cylindrical cone. Around it is green foliage, with blooms that are at varying stages of young, and more mature. The flowers on this variety are white, with yellow stamens in the middle. Each flower is very small, and is a small part of the larger flower cluster.
‘Pugster White’ is a compact shrub with giant white flowers with orange eyes.
  • Plant Size: 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: white
  • Hardiness zone: 5-9

This smaller butterfly bush is tightly compacted, with giant flowers. The dense flowers on ‘pugster white’ are a crisp white and require no deadheading. The stems on this variety are nice and thick and support the blossoms easily, while also ensuring that your shrub will make a trong return next spring.

Plant as a border, or throughout your perennial gardens. Don’t forget to add your ‘pugster white’ to your containers, the short height and the large flowers will turn your pots into works of art.

‘Queen of Hearts’

Close-up of bright pink flowers. The flowers are small, densely packed together, and have orange eyes inside each flower. In the background, a blooming summer garden is slightly blurred.
‘Queen of Hearts’ produces bright purple flowers 10 inches long.
  • Plant size: 2-3 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: Purple
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-10

Calling all flower lovers out there. ‘Queen of hearts’ is a compact shrub with ten inch long rich purple flowers. Compact varieties typically have smaller flowers, but this is quite the exception.

These pretty reddish purple flowers will cover the shrub from top to bottom all summer long with smaller secondary flowers that will take you all of the way into the fall. ‘Queen of hearts’ is a bit wider than it is tall and is a great plant to choose if you are looking to fill up a larger space in your gardens.

‘Royal Red’

Close-up of Buddleja davidii 'Royal Red' flowers in a summer garden. Small clustered purple flowers with orange eyes. Slightly blurred background with bright green foliage and flowering clusters in the foreground.
The flowers of this incredible shrub have a bright purple hue, giving it a luminous effect.
  • Plant size: 6-8 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: full sun
  • Flower color: Purple
  • Hardiness zone: 5-9

This purple flowering variety is not like the rest. The flowers on ‘royal red’ take on a more violet purple, giving it that glowing effect that sends your summertime gardens over the top. This is a larger shrub, with a bit more of a wild habit.

This growth habit makes ‘royal red’ a great backdrop for more structured perennials, such as shorter ornamental grasses. This is an old favorite due to its dependability and rapid growth.

‘Sangria’

Close-up of two large butterflies drinking nectar from the 'Sangria' cultivar. The butterfly has red wings fading to brown closer to the body. The edges of the wings are light brown with black-yellow-orange spots on the edges of the wings that resemble eyes. The flowers are small purple-red with orange eyes. The background is green blurred.
An early flowering variety that produces gorgeous purplish-red flowers.
  • Plant size: 3-4 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: Purple-red
  • Hardiness: 5-10

‘Sangria’ is an earlier bloomer than the rest of the bunch. Beginning in late spring and lasting through the fall these purplish red flowers will continue to bring beauty to your garden without deadheading.

A sterile option, ‘sangria’ is a nice compact size that can fit into any of your sunny areas in your garden. Add ‘sangria’ into an area with lots of red flowers to add depth to your garden and brighten the colors.

‘Sky Blue’

Close-up of the blooming flowers of the "Sky Blue" cultivar. Small sky-blue flowers with orange eyes are collected in clusters. Blurred background of green bush branches.
‘Sky Blue’ produces delicate periwinkle flowers that bloom from mid-summer to autumn.
  • Plant Size: 3-5 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Flower Color: Blue
  • Hardiness Zone: 5-9

The popular ‘sky blue’ may just be the most versatile butterfly bush yet. ‘Sky blue’ has a very nice size, not too small, not too tall. This shrub’s periwinkle flowers will blend well with any color combination you have in your gardens.

With a nice arching habit, ‘sky blue’ has flowers that will last from midsummer into the fall. Take care to deadhead your spent flowers quickly as this species has some invasive tendencies. Be sure to see if butterfly bush is invasive in your area before planting.

Final Thoughts

There are so many different varieties of butterfly bush, you are bound to find one that suits your garden’s needs perfectly. Whether you are looking for a dwarf option to dapple into your perennial garden, or a large specimen there is a perfect variety for your garden.

These shrubs are low maintenance, tough plants. Why pick just one? With so many different color options you could plant butterfly bushes in many different areas of your yard and fill your gardens with bright beautiful flowers!

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