‘Bob Hope’ delivers some of the darkest red flowers you'll find on a japonica — large, semi-double, with a boss of golden stamens at the center — over a long winter-to-spring season. Growth is slow, dense, and handsome, with especially dark, polished foliage.

Site it with morning sun or bright shade and protection from hot afternoon exposure, in acidic, well-drained soil. It makes a striking specimen against light-colored walls or evergreens, where those deep red blooms really register.