Hot Chocolate Texas Shrub Rose

Hot Chocolate is a Texas shrub rose similar in coloring to the floribunda Cinco De Mayo. These are good companion roses. Cinco de Mayo withstands the extreme Texas heat and keeps on blooming.

The Hot Chocolate rose (Rosa ‘Hot Chocolate’) is a floribunda rose introduced in 2002 by noted hybridizer Tom Carruth through Weeks Roses. It is well suited for Texas gardens, thriving in USDA Zones 6–9. It performs well across East Texas’s humid, rain-prone areas and Central Texas’s drier conditions, including Austin and San Antonio.

CINCO de MAYO is a good companion rose for Hot Chocolate.  The best time to plant Hot Chocolate in Texas is fall (October to November), which allows it to establish before the intense heat of summer, or early spring (February to March). It requires well-drained soil, ideally slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.0–7.0). In heavy clay areas common to Central Texas, raised beds or soil amendment with compost is recommended. Full sun exposure (at least six hours daily) is necessary, though light afternoon shade can help the plant manage the harshest summer heat.

Hot Chocolate grows to about 3 to 4 feet tall and equally wide, forming a rounded, bushy shape. Its blooms are distinctive, featuring a smoky chocolate-orange to russet color that shifts slightly depending on the season and temperature. The flowers have a light spicy fragrance and appear in clustered sprays, repeating from spring through fall with good vigor. The foliage is dark green and glossy, offering strong visual appeal throughout the growing season. In Texas, it handles heat well but benefits from deep, infrequent watering during droughts to maintain healthy growth and consistent flowering.

Regarding disease resistance, Hot Chocolate offers moderate resilience. It resists blackspot better than many older varieties but is not immune, especially in the humid conditions of East Texas. Preventive spraying or organic treatments like neem oil are advisable, particularly during prolonged wet periods. It shows good resistance to powdery mildew and rust under typical Texas conditions, especially in well-sunned areas with good air circulation.

Tom Carruth, the breeder of Hot Chocolate, is one of the most influential American rose hybridizers of the modern era. Before retiring, he introduced over 100 roses, many of which became top performers across the United States. Carruth worked for Jackson & Perkins, Armstrong Roses, and ultimately Weeks Roses, where he developed many award-winning varieties, including ‘Fourth of July’, ‘Julia Child’, and ‘Cinco de Mayo’. His breeding philosophy often prioritized disease resistance, unique coloration, and repeat blooming ability, making his introductions especially valuable in challenging climates like Texas.

Hot Chocolate pairs naturally with another Carruth rose, ‘Cinco de Mayo’. Cinco de Mayo is slightly smaller (about 3 feet tall and wide) and blooms in smoky lavender and rusty red-orange tones. The smoky, muted colors of both roses blend well together, creating a layered, warm effect in garden beds or borders. Their similar growth habits and disease resistance profiles make them easy companions to maintain. Both are heavy repeat bloomers, flourish in spring, and rebound again strongly in fall after a summer slowdown. In planting design, Hot Chocolate can be placed slightly behind or north of Cinco de Mayo, given that it tends to be about half a foot taller under Texas growing conditions.