Copper bismuthate (CuBi 2 O 4 ) complex oxides with a variety of novel morphologies have been prepared via a low-temperature solution process. The structure, morphology and light absorption properties were characterized with XRD, SEM, TEM and UV–vis diffuse reflectance. The effects of synthetic conditions (treatment time, additives and KOH concentration) on the morphology have been discussed, and the photocatalytic properties under UV–visible light irradiation were also evaluated using a degradation experiment. The results showed that the prepared samples exhibited some novel morphologies, such as assembly nanorods, leaf-like nanosheets and hierarchical nanoflowers, and excellent visible light absorption properties. Evident degradation for methylene blue was also observed in the range of UV–visible light irradiation with the help of a trace amount of hydrogen peroxide and their photocatalytic properties exhibited a strong dependence on morphology. Additionally, the photocatalytic mechanism was also illuminated.