This rose is absolutely huge, once mature. Mine is 6-7' tall, and it grows straight up. It never really stops blooming or growing. The color is always variable. The thorns are always immense and many. Probably one of the easiest modern roses to grow.

Note to breeders: Do not match it to another rose that produces very double seedlings. Your seedlings will not likely open. It like to produce very double seedlings itself, which is strange given its lineage.

I was looking at this rose again yesterday, since it is pruned next to Touch of Class. Guess which plant is bigger, and both are huge? Hot Cocoa. I point this out to those that try to place this rose in a traditional floribunda bed. Do not do it. This rose is very tall. I do love this rose. Most russet roses prior to this one were vigor-less and usually disease prone. This rose broke the mold, and then some.

An interesting rose to discuss as in how "far" the odd colors have come! Oh, wow, the plant is extremely healthy, the foliage is gorgeous, in my experience this one slides in with White Licorice and Julia Child......is it a Floribunda? Is it a smaller SHRUB??? It blooms a lot, it is hardy, this IS the "future" and this one did in my opinion deserve the AARS................but color? With this we are back 50 ish years, back to SMOKY by Combe, 1968.............the bloom color is basically just like Smoky, oxblood red maybe leaning orange that takes on a purple and/or ashey tone as the sun hits it and fades to ash-putty..............something you will love or hate.............this is what I would have thought the cross Europeana x Smoky would look like, except rose genetics are never that simple! If the color is intriguing to you and you are looking for a shrubby sort of plant, absolutely I recommend this one.

I saw a bed of Hot Cocoa in the rose park, zone 5a. It's loaded with blooms on a compact bush (less than 3' here). It's always blooming hot or cold weather, but the cold weather's color is magnificent. The leaves are pretty and healthy. I'll give the bush a ten for overall beauty and compactness.