They do sell cocoa mulch, it does smell like chocolate, and it does contain theobromine (the substance in chocolate that's deadly for some dogs). This is one of the few internet-spread scares that's actually true. I attached a link to the snopes.com website article on this subject.

mboston, I wasn't aware of this hazard and really appreciate you posting about it! I've been trying different mulches (LOVE the melaleuka mulch!) and cocoa mulch is something I can see myself trying. I have a dog who is a chocolate fanatic, with a history of ripping open Christmas packages, unzipping briefcases and unsnapping guest's luggage to ferret out a piece of chocolate. I'm so glad I've been warned about this mulch! Thank you!

Kate

Here is a link that might be useful: Snopes.com on Cocoa Mulch

I used cocoa bean hulls a mulch in several beds away from the house when we lived in NH. We mulched around the foundation of the house with hemlock, a natural bug repellent. The cocoa bean mulch smells yummy and none of our dogs ever bothered with it.

Marion, that's good to know. The article quotes the manufacturers as saying that 89% or 98% (or some large number) of dogs won't eat it. I'm generally pretty skeptical about these general 'threats to civilization as we know it' but I'm just certain my crazy little dog would eat it. And they do admit that if a dog DOES go for it, the potential for illness is high.

I am sure mine would it eat. He eats everything. He'll eat the black muck the sod grows in if it gets exposed.

Our pups loved mulch their first year of life. Of course our little guy would dig up rocks from our old drainage field and would try to eat them. Luckily they are better now but if there were a chance that it would hurt them, I wouldn't use it. I guess this stuff has been around but it is now coming up as a problem again.

we used this mulch up in chicago. very pretty, very clean weed-free mulch. my guess, tho, is that it wouldn't last more than half a season here in fla. the husks are very light, very small, and even in chicago broke down quickly.

i'm really into pine fines as a final layer of mulch. it's very handsome in the garden. less than $3 for 2 cu ft. a little goes a long way.

This reminds me of the time when we lived in Connecticut and had spread some cocoa mulch on the roses. A few days later, we had some manure delivered for our vegetable garden. It was very strange, shoveling manure and smelling chocolate!

Regina

I, too, tried it quite a few years ago.
Although it didn't smell too bad, it quickly molded big-time and I was forced to remove all of it...ugh!
THAT certainly was a waste of moolah!

I find it very funny that it's supposed to keep cats! My youngest cat is a chocoholic and anytime I have even a tiny bit of chocolate she comes running and begs to have some. I can see her trying to eat any mulch that smells like chocolate. lol