diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
index bee74ed0a006..ab1c2bf1a6ef 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ def draw_path_collection(self, gc, master_transform, paths, all_transforms,
 
     def draw_quad_mesh(self, gc, master_transform, meshWidth, meshHeight,
                        coordinates, offsets, offsetTrans, facecolors,
-                       antialiased, edgecolors, *, hatchcolors=None):
+                       antialiased, edgecolors):
         """
         Draw a quadmesh.
 
@@ -271,14 +271,11 @@ def draw_quad_mesh(self, gc, master_transform, meshWidth, meshHeight,
 
         if edgecolors is None:
             edgecolors = facecolors
-        if hatchcolors is None:
-            hatchcolors = []
         linewidths = np.array([gc.get_linewidth()], float)
 
         return self.draw_path_collection(
             gc, master_transform, paths, [], offsets, offsetTrans, facecolors,
-            edgecolors, linewidths, [], [antialiased], [None], 'screen',
-            hatchcolors=hatchcolors)
+            edgecolors, linewidths, [], [antialiased], [None], 'screen')
 
     def draw_gouraud_triangles(self, gc, triangles_array, colors_array,
                                transform):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.pyi b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.pyi
index fc25ab416a74..90e1a6979f61 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.pyi
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.pyi
@@ -78,8 +78,6 @@ class RendererBase:
         facecolors: Sequence[ColorType],
         antialiased: bool,
         edgecolors: Sequence[ColorType] | ColorType | None,
-        *,
-        hatchcolors: Sequence[ColorType] | ColorType | None = None,
     ) -> None: ...
     def draw_gouraud_triangles(
         self,
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/collections.py b/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
index ab1bd337d805..ec6d40805da0 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
@@ -2547,8 +2547,7 @@ def draw(self, renderer):
                 coordinates, offsets, offset_trf,
                 # Backends expect flattened rgba arrays (n*m, 4) for fc and ec
                 self.get_facecolor().reshape((-1, 4)),
-                self._antialiased, self.get_edgecolors().reshape((-1, 4)),
-                hatchcolors=self.get_hatchcolor().reshape((-1, 4)))
+                self._antialiased, self.get_edgecolors().reshape((-1, 4)))
         gc.restore()
         renderer.close_group(self.__class__.__name__)
         self.stale = False
diff --git a/src/_backend_agg.h b/src/_backend_agg.h
index 0e33d38dfd93..6ecbcba1df18 100644
--- a/src/_backend_agg.h
+++ b/src/_backend_agg.h
@@ -190,8 +190,7 @@ class RendererAgg
                         agg::trans_affine &offset_trans,
                         ColorArray &facecolors,
                         bool antialiased,
-                        ColorArray &edgecolors,
-                        ColorArray &hatchcolors);
+                        ColorArray &edgecolors);
 
     template <class PointArray, class ColorArray>
     void draw_gouraud_triangles(GCAgg &gc,
@@ -1163,8 +1162,7 @@ inline void RendererAgg::draw_quad_mesh(GCAgg &gc,
                                         agg::trans_affine &offset_trans,
                                         ColorArray &facecolors,
                                         bool antialiased,
-                                        ColorArray &edgecolors,
-                                        ColorArray &hatchcolors)
+                                        ColorArray &edgecolors)
 {
     QuadMeshGenerator<CoordinateArray> path_generator(mesh_width, mesh_height, coordinates);
 
@@ -1172,6 +1170,7 @@ inline void RendererAgg::draw_quad_mesh(GCAgg &gc,
     array::scalar<double, 1> linewidths(gc.linewidth);
     array::scalar<uint8_t, 1> antialiaseds(antialiased);
     DashesVector linestyles;
+    ColorArray hatchcolors = py::array_t<double>().reshape({0, 4}).unchecked<double, 2>();
 
     _draw_path_collection_generic(gc,
                                   master_transform,
diff --git a/src/_backend_agg_wrapper.cpp b/src/_backend_agg_wrapper.cpp
index 053606697388..3dd50b31f64a 100644
--- a/src/_backend_agg_wrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/_backend_agg_wrapper.cpp
@@ -182,14 +182,12 @@ PyRendererAgg_draw_quad_mesh(RendererAgg *self,
                              agg::trans_affine offset_trans,
                              py::array_t<double> facecolors_obj,
                              bool antialiased,
-                             py::array_t<double> edgecolors_obj,
-                             py::array_t<double> hatchcolors_obj)
+                             py::array_t<double> edgecolors_obj)
 {
     auto coordinates = coordinates_obj.mutable_unchecked<3>();
     auto offsets = convert_points(offsets_obj);
     auto facecolors = convert_colors(facecolors_obj);
     auto edgecolors = convert_colors(edgecolors_obj);
-    auto hatchcolors = convert_colors(hatchcolors_obj);
 
     self->draw_quad_mesh(gc,
             master_transform,
@@ -200,8 +198,7 @@ PyRendererAgg_draw_quad_mesh(RendererAgg *self,
             offset_trans,
             facecolors,
             antialiased,
-            edgecolors,
-            hatchcolors);
+            edgecolors);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -240,8 +237,7 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(_backend_agg, m, py::mod_gil_not_used())
         .def("draw_quad_mesh", &PyRendererAgg_draw_quad_mesh,
              "gc"_a, "master_transform"_a, "mesh_width"_a, "mesh_height"_a,
              "coordinates"_a, "offsets"_a, "offset_trans"_a, "facecolors"_a,
-             "antialiased"_a, "edgecolors"_a, py::kw_only(),
-             "hatchcolors"_a = py::array_t<double>().reshape({0, 4}))
+             "antialiased"_a, "edgecolors"_a)
         .def("draw_gouraud_triangles", &PyRendererAgg_draw_gouraud_triangles,
              "gc"_a, "points"_a, "colors"_a, "trans"_a = nullptr)