This compact, deciduous shrub bursts into a spectacular early spring show of large, fully double (multi-petaled) flowers that resemble camellias or roses, with rich, velvety scarlet-red to bright red blooms. The flowers are big (often 2 inches or more), frilly, and profuse, densely covering the bare branches for weeks in mid-to-late spring, sometimes with occasional rebloom in late summer or fall. The intense red color makes it a real eye-catcher when most gardens are just waking up.