Buddleja davidii var. magnifica is endemic to much of the same area as the type; it was named by Rehder & E. H. Wilson in 1909. The taxonomy of the plant and the other five davidii varieties has been challenged in recent years. Leeuwenberg sank them all as synonyms, considering them to be within the natural variation of a species, and thus unworthy of varietal recognition, a treatment adopted in the Flora of China published in 1996. Var. magnifica was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's First Class Certificate (FCC) in 1905.