Pink Flowering Shrubs: 31 Pink Flower Bushes For Your Garden (2024)

Already fill your flower garden with pink flowers, but you’ve decided that you just can’t get enough pink? Picking a shrub with pink flowers is the next logical step! Shrubs will provide you with many options in your home garden or home landscape design. There are many different colors of bushes with pink flowers, from light pink to fuchsia, giving you plenty of options for your home garden.

Adding some shrubs with pink flowers is a great way to incorporate more color while providing privacy, ground coverage, or a distinct edge to your gardening space. But which flowering shrub should you pick? There’s so many different options to choose from, finding the perfect fit can be a challenge.

Luckily, we’ve done some heavy lifting for you. In this guide, you’ll find our favorite bushes with pink flowers that you can add to your garden. You’ll learn about some of the most popular options, as well as the hardiness zones they grow in so you can create a peaceful and colorful gardening space. Let’s jump in!

Azalea ‘Boudoir’

Scientific Name: Rhododendron

• Plant Type: Broadleaf evergreen shrub
• Geographic Origin: Western China and Himalayas
• Plant Size: 3 – 5 feet tall, 3-5 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: partial shade
• Plant Zone: 5-8

Bold and bright, the watermelon pink blooms on this shrub are eye-catching, to say the least. They’re trumpet-shaped with a mild but pleasing fragrance. And they bloom in clusters from April to May, welcoming spring with a showy display.

Unlike most azalea cultivars, the Boudoir variety is an evergreen shrub. So, after the striking blooms fade, glossy green winter foliage is left behind. That makes the azalea ‘Boudoir’ a stunning addition to any year-round plot.

Plant it somewhere with sun-dappled shade for the best results, and avoid planting near any tree in the walnut family. Azaleas and rhododendrons find substances in walnuts, hickory, and pecan tree roots to be toxic.

Bird-In-A-Bush ‘George Barker’

Scientific Name: Corydalis solida

• Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
• Geographic Origin: Northern Europe and Asia
• Plant Size: 10 inches tall with 10-inch spread
• Sun Exposure: Full to partial sun
• Plant Zone: 4- 8

Also known as fumewort, Bird-in-a-Bush is technically a herbaceous perennial that can be pruned into a shrub. However, its foliage is dense during the spring and covers beds or borders much like a traditional shrub. Once the heat of summer hits, the foliage will die, and tuberous root stalks are all that will remain until the next blooming season.

When it’s in bloom, this flowering plant is gorgeous and intriguing. Its fern-like leaves are a delicate green, and its tubular flowers hang from towering spikes. The combination brings images of fairy tale forests to mind.

Standard varieties of Bird-in-a-Bush are mauve or white, but the ‘George Barker’ cultivar blooms bright pink, bordering on red. It would look lovely in a woodland garden or meadow-inspired plot.

Boomerang Dwarf Pink Lilac

Scientific Name: Syringa

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Southeast Europe and East Asia
• Plant Size: 2-3 feet tall with 2-3 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Zone: 4-7

Lilac makes a lovely hedge or container plant in any garden. It’s fantastic for flower cuttings and capable of repeat blooms, once in late spring and again throughout the summer.

The ‘Boomerang Dwarf Pink’ variety features fragrant, cone-shaped flowers that attract numerous pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Its bright pink color is gorgeous, and it grows easily in fertile soil with full sun.

Bougainvillea

Scientific Name: Bougainvillea

• Plant Type: Vine-like shrub
• Geographic Origin: South America
• Plant Size: 15 – 40 feet tall with 15 to 40-foot spread
• Sun Exposure: full sun
• Plant Zone: 9-10

Bougainvilleas are named for the French explorer Louis de Antoine Bougainville, who discovered them during his exploration of what is now Brazil.

Thanks to its towering height and dense spread, this South American native vine makes an excellent hedge. It’s also relatively easy to maintain because of its hardy, drought-resistant nature.

Bougainvillea bloom in red, purple, or bright pink and maintain their showy flowers for up to eleven months in warm climates. That makes them gorgeous coverings for walls, fences, and other less-than-sightly barriers.

Bugbane ‘Pink Spire’

Scientific Name: Actaea

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Geographic Origin: North America
• Plant Size: 2-4 feet wide with 1-2 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Part shade to full sun
• Plant Zone: 4-8

Though technically a flowering perennial, Bugbane is spreading and shrublike with beautiful bronze-purple foliage and pale pink blooms. It works wonderfully in woodland gardens or as a border plant in a semi-shady spot.

The leaves rise about two feet tall, but Bugbane’s blooms sprout from pillars that soar up to five feet above the ground. The ‘pink spire’ variety produces bottlebrush-like flowers in a soft, ballerina-like pink that sharply contrasts its darker foliage.

The flowers fade in fall, and Bugbane does produce berries in their place. However, the berries are toxic, and humans should avoid ingesting them.

Butterfly Bush

Scientific Name: Buddleja davidii

• Plant Type: deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: China and Japan
• Plant Size: 6-12 feet tall with 4-15 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Zone: 5-9

It’s no wonder where Butterfly Bush gets its common name. This shrub attracts droves of butterflies and other pollinators, such as hummingbirds. With its bright and fragrant cluster of giant blooms (up to 18 inches long), it’s also incredibly attractive to humans.

Butterfly Bush normally produces light pinkish-purple flowers with a deep orange throat. However, there are cultivars today that bloom in many different colors. It’s not uncommon to see this shrub bloom in purple, yellow, red, and of course, bright pink.

Unfortunately, Butterfly Bush is aggressive, especially in certain areas. It forms dense thickets in the western United States, taking over riverbanks. This means that it’s considered a noxious weed in states like Washington. To grow it in your garden there, you’ll need to purchase one of its sterile cultivars.

Camellia

Scientific Name: Camellia sasanqua

• Plant Type: Evergreen shrub
• Geographic Origin: Japan
• Plant Size: 6-10 feet tall with 6-10 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Plant Zone: 7-9

Camellias earned their name from Georg Joseph Camel, a Jesuit missionary famous for his work on oriental plants, especially those he observed on his travels to the Philippines. There, it’s no doubt he worked with Camellias.

These enchanting tropical flowers feature dark green foliage and white to pale pink blooms with bright yellow stamens. They grow best in the sun-dappled shade beneath towering tree canopies. You can prune them as either a small tree or a shrub.

If your garden only features full sun areas, Camellias can still thrive. However, it’s vital to keep their soil damp. They detest drying out in hot, dry weather and crave high humidity.

Chinese Hibiscus

Scientific Name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

• Plant Type: Evergreen shrub
• Geographic Origin: China, Japan, Pacific Islands
• Plant Size: 4-10 feet tall, 3-6 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Zone: 9 – 12

The Chinese Hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia, and you’ll find it used to decorate everything from royal costumes to thrones within the country. The bright and showy bloom was once thought to be medicinal, and humans historically used it as an antidote to poison and several diseases.

Of course, in a modern garden, Chinese Hibiscus is more for looks than function, and looks it certainly provides! The blooms on this shrub are up to 10 inches in diameter and come in various colors, including pink. Set against dark green, glossy leaves, the flowers are stunning.

To maximize the number of blooms on a Chinese Hibiscus, grow it in full sun. This plant will tolerate some shade, but there will be far fewer flowers.

Climbing Rose ‘Pierre de Ronsard’

Scientific Name: Rosa

• Plant Type: deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: France
• Plant Size: 5-10 feet tall with 5-6 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Partial to full sun
• Plant Zone: 5-9

In 2006, the World Federation of Rose Societies inducted the ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ cultivar of the climbing rose into its hall of fame. And, if you’re looking for a pink rose bush, it’s one of the best options.

This rose features a romantic, old-fashioned cup-shaped blossom and up to 65 petals. Each petal has a beautiful cream-colored base that bursts into bright pink edges like a dreamy fairy-tale sunrise.

Soft and beautiful, this pink rose variety would look lovely in almost any garden but appreciates spots with high humidity and bright light.

Crape Myrtle

Scientific Name: Lagerstroemia

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: China and Korea
• Plant Size: 2-3 feet tall or larger with 3-4 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Zone: 6-10

Crape Myrtles earn their name for their crape-paper-like flowers and myrtle-like bark. Though they are technically shrubs, many of them are quite large, and if you prune them correctly, they can be grown as trees.

There are several cultivars that feature pink flowers in a range of shades, from soft pastels to intense, bold hues.

Their frilly flowers bloom in late summer (July and August) and will continue to blossom through fall if you promptly prune them back. As it grows colder and the blossoms fall, the Crape Myrtle’s green leaves will turn a striking burgundy-red, continuing to add color to your garden.

Darley Dale Winter Heath

Scientific Name: Erica x darleyensis

• Plant Type: perennial
• Geographic Origin: Central Europe
• Plant Size: 18 inches tall, 3-foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Zone: 5-7

Darley Dale Winter Heath is a short, shrubby perennial hybrid that works wonderfully as ground cover or as a bordering plant. It’s easy to grow and remarkably tough, withstanding both heat and cold with ease.

This hardy plant features pink blooms from fall to mid-spring that darken from pale pink to deep pink as they mature. The green foliage that surrounds the blossoms gain creamy white tips in the spring months, creating gorgeous color in any garden.

Deutzia ‘Strawberry Fields’

Scientific Name: Deutzia x hybrida

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: East and Central Asia
• Plant Size: 4-6 feet tall, 4-6 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Plant Zone: 5-8

The Strawberry Fields variety of Deutzia is a hybrid of Deutzia Longifolia and Deutzia Discolor. It’s a multi-stemmed, rapidly growing bush that sports pretty pink and white blooms from May through June.

Like all Deutzia shrubs, though, it tends to look unkempt and bushy. Therefore, regular pruning is vital to keep this shrub looking its best.

European Elderberry

Scientific Name: Sambucus nigra

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Europe, Southwestern Asia, and North Africa
• Plant Size: 2-3 feet tall with 2-3 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Zone: 4-7

European Elderberry is sometimes called Black Elderberry, but don’t be alarmed. The black title is in reference to its berries, not its blossoms. European Elderberry features pink flowers against its green leaves throughout the spring months. In the summer and fall, the flowers give way to edible berries that attract all sorts of wildlife.

Many people consume elderberries in jams and preserves, but it’s important to note that those are usually the American Elderberries. European Elderberries aren’t as desirable for cooking, though they aren’t toxic like red elderberries are.

Although this shrub has striking looks, it’s also crucial to know that its leaves are odorous and it’s an aggressive spreader. So, not everyone is a fan of elderberry bushes in their garden.

February Daphne

Scientific Name: Daphne mezereon

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Europe and West Asia
• Plant Size: 3-5 feet tall with 3-5 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Plant Zone: 4-7

Daphne is native to the cool, damp forests of Europe and fairly easy to find there. In colonial times, immigrants carried Daphne into America and Canada, where it naturalized.

The Greek nymph, Daphne, loans her name to this pink flowering shrub. February Daphne earns its particular title by having an early, late-winter bloom of purplish-pink cluster blossoms.

Set against the shrub’s dark green leaves, these blooms are absolutely enchanting. Unfortunately, they’re also poisonous.

Japanese Barberry

Scientific Name: Berberis thunbergii

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Japan
• Plant Size: 3-6 feet tall with 4-7 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full to partial sun
• Plant Zone: 4 – 8

Japanese Barberry is a thorny, dense shrub that technically has yellow flowers. However, the flowers aren’t very showy. What attracts attention to this flowering bush are its leaves.

The leaves are green in summer but change to reddish pink in fall. The ‘Rose Glow’ variety is particularly stunning and much more pink than other cultivars. It’s a great way to bring pink into your garden throughout the autumn months.

Japanese Quince ‘Pink Lady’

Scientific Name: Chaenomeles x superba

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Japan
• Plant Size: 5 feet tall with 6-foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full to partial sun
• Plant Zone: 5- 9

The Japanese Quince’s ‘Pink Lady’ cultivar bears bright pink blossoms with eye-catching yellow stamens. It blooms in early spring, then gives way to yellow-green quince berries in summer and fall.

The ripe berries are very bitter and fragrant but are edible. Many use them in jams and preserves where plenty of sugar can counteract their bitterness.

Korean Abelia

Scientific Name: Abelia mosanensis

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Korea
• Plant Size: 5-6 feet tall with 5-6 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Plant Zone: 4-8

Korean Abelia is a stunning bush that provides color throughout the seasons. It sprouts arching stems with bright pink buds that open into tubular, creamy pink flowers in spring. These fragrant flowers attract all sorts of pollinators, including butterflies and hummingbirds.

As fall approaches, the flowers disappear, but the shrub’s green foliage changes to a striking orange. And as long as the winter is relatively mild, Abelia will hold onto its glossy leaves throughout the colder months.

Korean Rhododendron

Scientific Name: Rhododendron mucronulatum

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Korea and Japan
• Plant Size: 4-8 feet tall with 4-8 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Partial to full shade
• Plant Zone: 4-7

Korean rhododendron is a shade-loving plant that survives well in the cool, sun-dappled areas beneath tall tree canopies. It flowers in early spring with showy, purple-pink blooms that sprout from upright stems into lavish terminal clusters.

The ‘Cornell Pink’ cultivar is a great variety if you want a purely pink flowering shrub. Its flowers have no hint of purple or lavender.

Meyer Lilac

Scientific Name: Syringa meyer

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Northern China
• Plant Size: 4-8 feet tall with 4-8 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Zone: 3-7

Meyer lilac earns its name from its American discoverer, Frank Meyer, who came across it in a Beijing garden. This compact and slow-growing shrub doesn’t exist in the wild, but it’s wonderful in sunny garden plots.

The purple-pink flowers of the Meyer Lilac appear in dense clusters during spring. They’re fragrant and sit atop small, ruffled leaves, giving the entire bush a very romantic look.

Mophead Hydrangea

Scientific Name: Hydrangea macrophylla

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: North America and Asia
• Plant Size: 3-4 feet tall with 3-4 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Partial shade
• Plant Zone: 3-7

Hydrangeas are popular garden plants thanks to their large, globular clusters of bright blooms that last throughout spring and summer. They thrive in shady spots that get a bit of morning sun but will rapidly deteriorate in hot conditions.

Interestingly, the color of the blooms depends on the acidity of the soil. In acidic soil, hydrangeas will bloom blue. In alkaline soils, hydrangea flowers are pink.

If you find that your soil is producing blue hydrangeas, you can easily turn them pink by adding lime, thereby reducing the acidity.

Peony

Scientific Name: Peony suffruticosa

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Asia
• Plant Size: 6-8 feet tall with 2-foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Plant Zone: 4-8

Peonies come in multiple varieties. Some are perennials, and others are deciduous shrubs. Peony Suffruticosa, sometimes called tree peony, is one of the shrub varietals. It has thick, woody stems and bluish-green leaves. Its flowers come in several shades, including pink.

These peonies thrive in well-drained soil that gets a fair amount of shade, though they can also handle full sun. Their flowers are large and magnificent, but it’s important to keep in mind that they don’t flower right away. Peonies take up to three years before they’ll establish and bloom in any given garden.

Pink Forsythia

Scientific Name: Abeliophyllum distichum

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Korea
• Plant Size: 3-5 feet tall with 3-4 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Partial shade to full sun
• Plant Zone: 5-8

Pink Forsythia blooms in early March, making it one of the first plants to welcome spring. This early bloomer is showy and fragrant, making it a favorite amongst many gardeners and florists.

It’s also a fairly low-maintenance plant. However, you should aim to prune it directly after its blooming period so that next year’s flower buds can form.

Pink Forsythia can tolerate some drought, but it prefers not to be overly wet. It can also tolerate some shade but will bloom best in full sun.

Rose of Sharon

Scientific Name: Hibiscus syriacus

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: East Asia
• Plant Size: 6-10 feet tall with 4-8 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Plant Zone: 5-8

With bright pink blooms over 3 inches wide, the Rose of Sharon shrub is a striking addition to any tropically-inspired garden. Flowers appear in early summer and last through early fall, providing plenty of pink color throughout the warm months.

Rose of Sharon has several cultivars to choose from. If you’re looking for pink and showy, check out the ‘Aphrodite’ variety. It offers a more compact shrub with ruffled petals and bigger blooms, up to 8 inches in diameter!

Sargent Crabapple

Scientific Name: Malus sargenti

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: North America
• Plant Size: 6-8 feet tall with 9-15 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Zone: 4-8

Sargent crabapple is a large shrub that you could grow as a dwarf tree. It features soft pink buds that turn into white flowers that retain just a smidge of pink hue. However, there are several cultivars that have more pink in their blossoms, such as ‘Candymint’ or ‘Pink Princess.’

While flowering, crabapple shrubs attract all sorts of pollinators, including hummingbirds and butterflies. Once the flowers drop, the shrub grows small, red crabapples that attract other forms of wildlife.

The crabapples are edible and sweet, but growers rarely use them in cooking. However, they’re great for drawing in various bird species.

Shrubby Cinquefoil

Scientific Name: Potentilla fruticosa

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Canada, Europe, and Northern Asia
• Plant Size: 2-4 feet tall with 2-4 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Zone: 3-7

Shrubby cinquefoil is a compact shrub that features small, blue-green leaves and a mounded shape. Normally, cinquefoil has bold yellow blossoms, but the ‘Pink Beauty’ variety offers bright pink blooms instead.

Cinquefoil is a very hardy plant. It can survive both heat and cold conditions. In winter, dry, tumbleweed-like growth replaces the bluish leaves and bright blooms. Heavy pruning in the late winter months will keep it from looking too ragged, and growers should aim to prune every few years.

The plant’s scientific name, potentilla, comes from the Latin word for “potent” and is a remnant of the shrub’s early use as a medicinal. Potentilla was a favorite for medicine men and women, or so-called witches and sorcerers, bringing down fevers and stopping sore throats.

Solitary Clematis ‘Rose Colored Glasses’

Scientific Name: Clematis integrifolia

• Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
• Geographic Origin: Central Europe and Russia
• Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall with 1-2 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Plant Zone: 3-7

Though technically a herbaceous perennial, Solitary Clematis grows in a shrubby mound much like a low-lying bush. It features medium green leaves and urn-shaped flowers that are typically blue. However, the ‘Rose Colored Glasses’ varietal offers pretty pink blooms instead.

‘Rose Colored Glasses’ also offers larger blooms, stretching up to two inches long. Each flower appears at the end of a slender stalk and will last from late May through September.

Though Solitary Clematis can grow in partial shade, it blooms best in full sun. As shade increases, you can expect less growth and fewer blossoms. That said, the roots prefer cool, damp soil, and this plant won’t do well with too much heat.

Tamarisk ‘Pink Cascade’

Scientific Name: Ramosissima

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Europe and Asia
• Plant Size: 10-15 feet tall with 8-10 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Zone: 3-8

Tamarisk is a flowering shrub that offers cascading flowers against slender, reddish branches and pale-gray leaves. It’s tall and tends to form open thickets along rivers, streams, and ocean bays.

Unlike many other plants, Tamarisk can withstand high salt concentrations and does well next to saltwater. The plant also produces some salt. For this reason, many refer to it as salt cedar.

Though the ‘Pink Cascade’ variety is especially beautiful, Tamarisk is an aggressive spreader in general. And, in some areas, it’s a noxious weed. Be careful planting it in states like Washington, Oregon, and Arizona, where state laws prohibit non-sterile varieties.

Viburnum ‘Pink Sensation’

Scientific name: Viburnum f. plicatum

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: China and Japan
• Plant Size: 6-10 feet tall with 5-8 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Plant Zone: 5-8

Viburnum is a popular flowering shrub that is relatively easy to grow. It comes in several varieties, but for pink blooms, ‘Pink Sensation’ is perhaps the best choice.

The ‘Pink Sensation’ cultivar features pink buds that bloom into white flowers with a gentle pink blush. The flowers appear in dense, globular clusters from early spring to early summer.

Perhaps more stunning than its spring flowers is this cultivar’s fall foliage. The leaves on ‘Pink Sensation’ start as a stunning pink-bronze and turn to rich burgundy come autumn, providing loads of color throughout the winter months.

Weigela ‘Polka’

Scientific Name: Weigela florida

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: China, Korea, and Japan
• Plant Size: 3-5 feet tall with 3-4 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Zone: 4-8

Weigela is a dense and slow-growing shrub with coarse branches and funnel-shaped flowers. It’s wonderful for gardens because of its exceptionally long bloom time, stretching from spring to fall.

The ‘Polka’ variety offers bright pink blooms with yellow throats that attract hummingbirds in droves. It also features dark green leaves that are more round than other cultivars within the species.

Western Spirea

Scientific Name: Spiraea douglasii

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: North America
• Plant Size: 4-6 feet tall with 3-6 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Plant Zone: 5-8

Western Spirea offers rose-pink flowers that form in whimsical clusters at the end of tall spires. Surrounded by light green foliage, the pink flowers are lovely and romantic, making this plant a favorite for woodland or cottage-style gardens.

This shrub prefers moist soil and naturally grows in marshes and bogs. Though it thrives in full sun, avoid placing it in dry areas or in soil that gets too hot. There are varieties of this gorgeous flowering shrub that work in nearly every garden.

Yuki Cherry Blossom

Scientific Name: Deutzia

• Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
• Geographic Origin: Asia, Mexico, and Central America
• Plant Size: 1-2 feet tall with 1-2 foot spread
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Plant Zone: 5-8

This small Deutzia varietal features light pink, star-shaped flowers amongst dark green leaves through spring and early summer. The blooms resemble cherry blossoms, hence the cultivar’s name. As the weather grows colder, the blossoms disappear. But, its greenery turns to a striking purple-bronze adding color to your winter garden.

Yuki Cherry Blossom makes for an excellent ground cover on banks and slopes. It also acts as a wonderful border plant.