Is this own root or grafted? Own root - maybe. Grafted you are looking at rootstock.

It's Own root. So surprising to see this little shoot. We lost a couple of others this winter, at least I think so, though maybe I just didn't wait long enough.

I would leave the seemingly dead base just as it is. Who knows where else a surprise regenerative root basal cane will emerge, this year or thereafter. It may come forth closer in from the base/stump or directly beneath it. You want a nice, multi unit crown to maximize bush size and survivability.

Moses

Why is it cut so short? To remove it?

Its hard to twll for sure in a picture but some of the cuts look like live cane. Either way, I would leave it. One of my bareroots from DA seemed DOA and yet just now it has started showing some growth while the others are all completely leafed out and about to flower.

I recall you are in the PNW, correct? I do agree this seems late for leafing out here but we did have a terrible cold snap too last winter - I had almost all my pots in the basement and the rest covered up which I normally don’t need to do.

I just had a clematis come up here. This is the norm in cold climates to give a plant a generous time to show.

So many good points.

Yes, we are in the Pacific northwest.

I had thought we'd bought this from Northland Rosarium, but it looks like it was somewhere else and Susan says, it is likely grafted. That's too bad.

It is cut so short because we removed what looked like dead canes. When cut, the inside did not look alive to us, but we are fairly new to rose gardening. Are you a dead cane or an alive cane is a good question and a work in progress. Though I'm pretty sure these were dead.

We are thinking we'll let it grow and flower. If it is Hot Cocoa it can stay, otherwise the shovel will be called.

The reason the canes look alive to me is their light white color and healthy texture, especially that large one to the left and to a lesser extent the smaller one to the right. If it was moist at all when you cut it then it was definitely alive. Canes will get woody and turn grey with age but unless its brown/black I usually assume its alive and cut back gradually until I hit live cane.

If it’s grafted I would remove the sucker and focus on getting a new basal break above the graft. Keep it shaded and moist but not soaking wet. I’ve had luck piling mulch around the graft keeping the top and any cut canes exposed. I have a young Gertrude Jekyll that I was sure was dead and she just started pushing some new growth last week despite the entire rest of my garden being entirely leafed out and blooming.

Personally, I'd dig it out and buy a new one. Hot Cocoa is easy to find either own-root or grafted. Life is too short to wait for a rose that looks like that, or at least it is for me :-D

I agree with Susan. Hot Cocoa is very vigorous. One from your local garden center will be huge by end of year one and you’ll be enjoying roses much sooner.

My personal opinion, life is short, give it the boot and start over

I told my wife of your suggestions and it looks like it will get the boot in favor of something more fragrant. For me, it doesn't have some scent, it is not worth the thorns. (ouch). :o)

There you go, adios mostly dead rose, making way for something new and”all livin” ( Frosty the Snowman )