Uniform, rich red shade with a slightly velvety sheen. The colour intensity retains its depth well even in sunlight. - hybrid tea rose - mild, subtly scented rose - fruity
– Classic, velvety red hybrid tea blooms
– XL flowers with elegant high-centred form
– Excellent disease resistance in garden use
– Good heat and drought tolerance in summer
– Ideal cut flower with long vase life Special feature: Decoratively shows occasional bright red hips.
Long vase life – Grower care
pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL 2-litre own-root potted rose
23,30 €
3.5(5319)
OLYMPIAD™ – red hybrid tea rose - McGredy
If You are looking for a truly reliable red rose that You can plant once and enjoy for years, OLYMPIAD™ is a classic hybrid tea that fits perfectly into an average Irish family garden. Its upright, well-behaved growth and dense foliage make borders look instantly more elegant, while the extra-large, high-centred blooms bring a distinctly romantic feel to front gardens and paths. The rich, velvety red petals hold their colour with stability, fading only slightly even in strong sun, so beds stay striking instead of patchy. This pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL own-root plant arrives well rooted in a 2-litre pot for easy planting and confident establishment, gradually settling into Your soil and routine with minimal fuss. As roots strengthen in year one, shoots build shape in year two and full ornamental value unfolds by year three, giving You a long-lasting, balanced feature that copes well with our humid, disease-prone conditions along with periods of drought. The long-stemmed, long-lasting flowers are ideal for home-cut bouquets, adding a subtly fruity, pleasant fragrance indoors without demanding expert care outdoors.
Olympiad™ displays a high-centred, pointed-budded bloom form.
Use cases
Target area
Reason
Front garden focal point by the entrance
Strong, upright growth with dense mid-green foliage quickly creates a tidy, formal look beside paths or driveways, giving a welcoming splash of rich red colour that stays showy for years for the busy homeowner beginner gardeners
Cutting corner for home bouquets
Extra-large, high-centred blooms on long, straight stems and a famously long vase life make this rose perfect for regular cutting, so You can enjoy its classic red flowers and light fruity scent indoors without needing a dedicated cutting garden home flower lovers
Small group planting (1–3 plants) in a mixed border
Planting a small group allows the velvety red flowers to dominate as a clear colour accent, while the own-root plants settle and mature together into a coherent, long-lived clump that does not rely on complicated pruning schemes low-maintenance planners
Formal hedge or low boundary row
Regular spacing at around 50–55 cm creates a straight, upright hedge line; uniform growth and repeat flowering give a structured, park-like effect that suits front boundaries and side paths in family gardens structure-minded owners
Sunny patio in a large container
Performs well in a minimum 40–50 litre container in full sun, providing a steady display of classic red blooms on an upright frame that is easy to position near seating areas, steps or terraces for everyday enjoyment small-space gardeners
Heat-exposed, sunny south-facing spot
This variety tolerates heat well, with blooms that keep their depth of colour and form, provided regular watering is given during prolonged dry spells, so it suits warmer, sun-trap corners of Irish gardens sunny-site owners
Family garden bed with simple care routine
Good resistance to black spot, mildew and rust and a generally resilient nature mean less spraying and fewer interventions, which is especially helpful where You just want straightforward care in a busy household time-pressed families
Classic red feature in wetter, disease-prone areas
Its robust disease resistance offers reassuring performance where frequent Irish rain and humidity often challenge roses, so beds keep their foliage and structure instead of thinning out in difficult seasons for coastal and rural gardeners
Decorating ideas
Classic Entrance Pair – Flank your front door with two large containers of OLYMPIAD™ underplanted with dwarf Heuchera for neat foliage contrast – ideal for homeowners wanting a formal, low-fuss welcome.
Cottage-Red Ribbon – Line a path with a short hedge of OLYMPIAD™ and scatter sea thrift in front for a relaxed, cottage feel – perfect for rural gardeners who still like a clear structure.
Patio Show Stopper – Use one specimen in a 50-litre pot, surrounded by rosemary and lavender, to enjoy red blooms against scented foliage – suited to small urban patios and balconies.
Mixed-Bed Highlight – Place a group of three OLYMPIAD™ among pale hydrangeas to let the velvety red roses pop as a focal accent – great for those who like simple but striking borders.
Cut-Flower Corner – Dedicate a sunny bed to OLYMPIAD™ with edging of low Sedum for easy access to long stems and tidy edging – perfect for people who love bringing their own roses indoors.
Technical cultivar profile
Property
Data
Name and registration
Hybrid tea rose registered as MACauck, marketed as Olympiad™ Hybrid tea rose MACauck. American Rose Society approved exhibition name Olympiad, a classic exhibition-type hybrid tea for garden and cutting use.
Origin and breeding
Bred by Samuel Darragh McGredy IV, McGredy Roses International, New Zealand. Parentage ‘Red Planet’ × ‘Pharaoh’. Introduced 1974 in New Zealand, 1983–1984 in the USA, with early distribution by Star Roses and Jackson & Perkins.
Awards and recognitions
All-America Rose Selections award in 1984 and Portland Gold Medal in 1995, confirming its long-term reliability, ornamental value and performance in a range of garden conditions and climates over many seasons.
Growth and structure
Upright hybrid tea with dense, mid-green, matt foliage and moderately thorny stems. Typical garden height 100–140 cm, spread 65–95 cm, forming a well-defined, vertical outline suitable for hedging or specimen planting.
Flower morphology
Extra-large, double, high-centred blooms with 26–39 petals, solitary on long, straight stems. Classic pointed buds open to exhibition-type flowers, repeating well through the season with particularly abundant second flush flowering.
Colour and phenology
Uniform, rich scarlet red with a velvety sheen, RHS 46A outer, 46B inner. Colour holds well in sunlight with only slight matting towards deep carmine as blooms age, maintaining an even, non-patchy display on the bush.
Fragrance and aroma
Mild, pleasantly fruity fragrance typical of many exhibition hybrid teas. Scent is subtle rather than powerful, adding refinement to cut stems indoors and gentle enjoyment outdoors without overwhelming small seating areas.
Rose hip characteristics
Occasionally forms small, spherical red hips, 8–12 mm in diameter. Hips have modest but noticeable decorative value in late season if spent blooms are not removed, adding a touch of autumn interest to the bush.
Resistance and hardiness
Good overall disease resistance, with documented resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust. Winter hardy to approximately −26 to −23 °C (USDA zone 5b, RHS H7), suited to most Irish garden conditions with standard care.
Horticultural recommendations
Best in full sun with well-drained soil; space 50–55 cm for hedges, 90 cm for specimens, around 3–4 plants/m² for mass planting. Ideal for beds, hedges, containers and cutting; maintenance needs are generally low and routine.
OLYMPIAD™ offers rich red, long-lasting blooms, reliable disease resistance and a tidy upright habit on a durable own-root plant that matures steadily over the years, making it a reassuring choice if You want a dependable red rose to enjoy.
Detailed product attributes
Product Identification Data
Product Name:
OLYMPIAD™ – red hybrid tea rose - McGredy
Product Type:
pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL - 2-litre own-root potted rose
Our product is a rose grown with unique pharmaROSA® cultivation technology!
2 litre, own-root, potted rose.
With shoots appropriate to the season.
With roots thoroughly interwoven through the growing medium.
Quality in line with the requirements of the E.N.A. (European Nurserystock Association).
In unique packaging that prevents damage.
Can be planted during frost-free periods.
True-to-type rose plant with an individual identifier.
The pharmaROSA® own-root potted rose is a well-rooted plant that supports reliable establishment when planted and cared for properly, so it can be planted whenever the soil is not frozen.
Stock: several varieties and several stages of development in a short stock section.Shoot system: intensive growth of fresh basal shoots on a young plant.Root system: presentation of the strong root system interwoven through the growing medium with the pot removed.Balance: mature plant where the development of the root system and the shoots is in harmony.
Information about the videos
The video series is not a “seasonal showcase”, but makes the essence of pharmaROSA® own-root production tangible: how the plant is built, what the root system is like and how the shoots renew themselves. The footage was therefore taken at different times, showing plants at different stages of development, so mixed leaf coverage or differing growth stages may appear in the videos. This is not a “sample” of the batch delivered, but an illustration of how the technology works. The current condition of the rose available to order — typical of the given period and similar to what you can expect to receive in the parcel — is shown at the top of the product page.
Pages for private customers Garden roses for the family garden, with minimal care → ORIGINAL® Premium garden roses – instant impact, a truly showpiece garden → EXTRA® Pages for professionals and private customers Roses for public spaces – large areas, sustainable maintenance → NATURAL® Roses for projects – hedge and row planting, fast implementation → RAPID® For professional partners only Production – propagation material for garden roses, wholesale → NEONATAL®
Company details
PharmaRosa Ltd. Company registration number: 01-09-717479 VAT number: 13075314-2-43 Plant health registration no.: HU130721 Bank account (IBAN): HU85117631891388688400000000 BIC (SWIFT): OTPVHUHB Bank name: OTP Bank Nyrt.
