Bicolor Butterfly Bush vs Miss Ruby Butterfly Bush: Key Differences

The question we hear most is whether to buy Bicolor or Miss Ruby. Our answer is Miss Ruby for most yards, and Bicolor only if you have real room. The reason is size. Bicolor Butterfly Bush is a big, fast shrub, and the mistake we see most is planting it three feet from a wall or walkway.

This guide covers everything you need to know about choosing between them, from mature size and cold hardiness to flower color, scent, pruning and which one suits your yard. Get it right and you get months of honey-scented spikes and a steady stream of butterflies. Get it wrong and you spend every spring cutting back a plant that wants to be eight feet tall.

Bicolor Butterfly Bush Outgrows Its Spot More Often Than Not

Size is where the two split most, and it is the mistake we see in nearly every customer's first season. Here is what to plan for before you dig.

As a Buddleja davidii form, Bicolor can grow 6 to 12 feet tall and 4 to 15 feet wide. In zones 8 and 9 with a long growing season, unpruned specimens often stretch toward the top of that range. That makes it a substantial shrub suited to mixed borders, screening, or a focal point in a larger landscape.

Miss Ruby, by contrast, is marketed as a compact cultivar. It stays considerably smaller than the standard form, though exact mature dimensions vary by grower and seed lot.

If you're working with a small garden, a container, or simply want a butterfly bush that won't dominate the space, Miss Ruby fits the bill better. Expect to check with your nursery for specifics on the particular plant you're buying, since compact cultivars can vary in how restrained they truly stay.

For scale, even the compact cultivar 'Attraction' is listed at 4 to 6 feet tall and wide. In butterfly bushes, "compact" rarely means small, so check Miss Ruby's tag against the space you actually have.

Common advice says to buy the bigger plant and prune it down to fit. We don't follow that. Hard pruning doesn't slow the roots, so an oversized Bicolor in a small bed just throws long, floppy stems all summer. Pick the right size at the start. Our guide on how big a Bicolor Butterfly Bush really gets goes deeper on this.

Bicolor and Miss Ruby Side by Side

The table below lines up the traits that matter when you're choosing. Size and flower color are the two rows that usually decide it.

Trait	Bicolor Butterfly Bush	Miss Ruby
Botanical Name	Buddleja davidii (Bicolor form)	Buddleja 'Miss Ruby' (patented)
Plant Type	Deciduous flowering shrub	Deciduous flowering shrub (compact)
Mature Height	6–12 ft, toward the top in mild zones	Significantly smaller (check your nursery source)
Mature Width	4–15 ft, depending on climate and pruning	More compact (varies by grower)
Growth Rate	Fast once established	Moderate, likely slower than standard types
Hardiness Zones	5–9	Same or similar (confirm with supplier)
Sun Requirement	Full sun (6+ hours)	Full sun (6+ hours)
Flower Color	Two-tone spikes, shades vary by grower (the species is lilac with an orange throat)	Deep red or ruby-red spikes
Bloom Season	June–September	June–September
Fragrance	Yes, sweet honey-like scent	Yes, sweet honey-like scent
Pollinator Appeal	Highly attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, bees	Highly attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, bees
Drought Tolerance	High once established (after first season)	High once established

Hardiness and Regional Performance

Cold changes how Bicolor grows more than anything else, so here is what to expect by zone. The species is winter hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Bicolor Butterfly Bush is hardy in zones 5 through 9. In zones 5 and 6, it typically dies back to the ground each winter and regrows as a woody-based perennial from the roots. Zones 7 through 9 keep it as a true woody shrub year-round. This flexibility makes Bicolor suitable across much of North America.

Miss Ruby should have similar cold hardiness, though you'll want to confirm with your specific supplier before planting in a marginal zone. The compact breeding doesn't change the plant's fundamental cold tolerance, but growers sometimes select for traits that might slightly shift it. A quick call to your local nursery will clarify whether Miss Ruby thrives in your climate.

Both handle moderate salt exposure reasonably well, making them viable near coastal regions or in areas where road salt is applied.

Flower Color, Scent and Bloom Season

Color is the clearest difference between these two. Scent and bloom timing are where they match almost exactly.

Bicolor Butterfly Bush carries a two-tone flower spike. The species itself is lilac with an orange throat, and the Bicolor form adds a second shade. The exact pairing varies by grower, since "Bicolor" as sold in commerce is often a trade name rather than one single registered cultivar. Look at the tag photo or see the plant in bloom before you buy. Its closest relative in flower form is the Honeycomb butterfly bush, which shares its weyeriana parentage.

Miss Ruby produces deep red or ruby-red flowers that stand out in the garden with a bold, jewel-like presence. If you want the softer, more romantic two-tone effect, Bicolor delivers it. If you prefer a rich, saturated red, Miss Ruby is the winner.

Both bloom from June through September, and in a warm fall some keep going until frost. Deadheading spent spikes through the season encourages rebloom and extends the display.

The honey-like scent is strongest on warm, still afternoons, which is also when the butterflies, bees and hummingbirds arrive. In our rows, the first visitors usually find the spikes within a day or two of the first flowers opening. For who comes and when, see our guide to Bicolor Butterfly Bush and pollinators.

Sun, Soil and Pruning for Both Shrubs

Care is nearly identical for the two, with one big difference in how much you cut back. We'll start with light, water and soil, then move to pruning.

Light, Water and Soil Needs

Both shrubs want full sun, which you can read more about in our full sun guide.

Both Bicolor and Miss Ruby demand full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Blooms and plant habit decline noticeably in part shade, so placement is critical. If your spot gets fewer than 6 hours, neither will perform well.

Water needs are identical for both. Require moderate water during establishment, then transition to drought tolerance within the first full growing season. Avoid standing water or heavy, wet clay soil, which leads to root rot. Average, well-drained garden soil is ideal. Both tolerate poor and sandy soil better than heavy clay.

Soil pH should be between 6.0 and 8.0 for good performance, and the plant adapts to most soil types. Both are light feeders, so a single balanced fertilizer application in spring is sufficient. Over-fertilizing promotes leggy, overgrown plants with fewer flowers, so resist the urge to feed heavily.

Annual Pruning for Bloom and Size

Pruning is the biggest yearly job with either shrub, and the flowers are borne on new growth. Our guide on when and how to prune a Bicolor Butterfly Bush has the full routine.

Here's where compact Miss Ruby offers an advantage. Both types flower on new wood, so hard pruning in late winter or very early spring is essential. Bicolor typically requires cutting back to about 12 to 18 inches from the ground or to a low framework of woody stems. This aggressive pruning keeps it shapely and full of flowers.

Miss Ruby's smaller stature means you'll be doing less severe pruning overall, even though the principle remains the same. If you're managing multiple shrubs or garden space is tight, Miss Ruby reduces the pruning workload.

Customers usually ask us whether Miss Ruby can skip the hard prune. It can't. A smaller plant still needs its yearly cut to bloom well.

Plan on about a decade of vigorous bloom from either shrub before it tires. We usually tell customers to replace or hard-renovate it after that.

Pros and Cons of Each Shrub

Each shrub's strengths and drawbacks mostly trace back to its size. Here they are side by side.

Bicolor Butterfly Bush

Bicolor rewards a gardener with space and a willingness to prune hard every year.

Pros:

• Distinctive bicolor flower spikes that don't read as a single solid color
• Large mature size works well for screening, borders, or making a bold statement
• Proven, reliable form widely available from nurseries
• Same hardiness, fragrance, and pollinator power as Miss Ruby

Cons:

• Requires more aggressive annual pruning to stay in bounds
• Takes up significant space even after hard pruning
• Can self-seed in regions where Buddleja davidii is invasive (check local regulations)
• Deadheading is important to prevent seed spread and encourage rebloom

Miss Ruby

Miss Ruby trades some presence for a plant that fits where Bicolor won't.

Pros:

• Compact size fits smaller gardens and containers
• Less demanding pruning schedule
• Bold, saturated red flower color stands out visually
• Reduced pruning means less time spent on maintenance

Cons:

• Patented cultivar may be pricier than standard forms
• Less widely available than Bicolor in some regions
• Exact mature size varies by grower, so research your specific source
• Still requires annual hard pruning for best flowering

Which One We'd Choose

If you want our honest pick, most customers should buy Miss Ruby and keep Bicolor for yards with real room. Use these lists to sort yourself, then check the table that follows.

Choose Bicolor Butterfly Bush if:

• You have a mixed border or larger landscape bed where a shrub of 6 feet or more fits naturally
• You love the soft, romantic appeal of a two-tone flower display
• You want a widely available, proven cultivar
• You're growing for cut flowers or dried arrangements (the longer stems offer more options)
• You need reliable pollinator appeal with a distinctive visual character

Choose Miss Ruby if:

• You're working with a small garden, foundation planting, or container setting
• You prefer the bold, saturated color of deep red flowers
• You want less aggressive pruning and a more restrained plant overall
• You're looking for a cultivar bred to stay tidy without constant intervention
• You value a compact shrub that still draws butterflies and hummingbirds reliably

For more detailed growing information, see our complete Bicolor Butterfly Bush care guide, which covers pruning schedules, seasonal timing, pest management, and design combinations.

This table sums up the decision point by point, so you can match each row to your own yard.

Decision Point	Bicolor Butterfly Bush	Miss Ruby
Space available: 4+ ft wide, 5+ ft tall	✓ Best fit	Moderate fit
Space available: 3 ft wide, 3 ft tall or less	Poor fit	✓ Better fit
Container gardening (15+ gal pot)	Possible but large	✓ Better choice
Want two-tone flowers	✓ Yes	No, solid red
Want deep red flowers	No, bicolor only	✓ Yes
Minimize pruning work	Less possible	✓ More possible
Mixed border focal point	✓ Strong presence	Softer impact
Hardiness zones 5–6	✓ Regrows from roots	Likely same, confirm
High heat, zone 8–9	✓ Grows to 10–12 ft	✓ Stays more compact
Pollinator magnet priority	✓ Equal appeal	✓ Equal appeal

Picking Between Bicolor and Miss Ruby

Decide by space first and color second. Miss Ruby suits small beds, foundation plantings and containers, while Bicolor suits borders and screens where it can reach its full size. Both want full sun, both are hardy in zones 5 through 9, both smell of honey in summer, and both need a hard prune in early spring.

Our growers watch these shrubs through the year, from the early spring cut to the first spikes in June and the deadheading that carries bloom into fall. We're a small business with our own farms, and we grow and sell top-quality shrubs, so we'd rather help you choose the right size now than see you replace a plant in three years.