Old Port – bedding floribunda rose rooted cutting for professional production
With its deeply coloured, rosette blooms and strong, long-lasting perfume, Old Port offers a distinctive floribunda option for UK nurseries seeking reliable, medium-maintenance bedding and border lines on an own-root base. The compact, bushy, upright habit and 2–3 L container suitability make it straightforward to integrate into standard finished-product ranges aimed at retail and reseller channels, while the remontant flowering pattern supports a long sales window as a reliable garden-performance proposition. Moderate disease resistance with black-spot resistance, H7 frost hardiness and USDA 6b performance underpin predictable stock building, even for supply chains serving colder regions and sites where winter and wind tolerance are essential for project delivery. As pharmaROSA NEONATAL own-root propagation material, these 3–6‑month tray-grown, rooted cuttings form a durable, regenerating base that supports low replacement rates and homogeneous stands, following a natural development arc from root establishment in year one, strong shoot framework in year two and full ornamental expression in year three for thematic rose collections and public-realm planting schemes. Remontant, large, clustered blooms with a generous second flowering and limited hip set keep the visual focus on colour, while occasionally cuttable stems open up an additional bedding and cut-flower crossover use. The moderate heat and drought tolerance suits typical UK nursery and project conditions, provided regular irrigation is planned during extended dry periods, allowing this own-root material to be scheduled confidently into nursery programmes.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Fragrant 2–3 L bedding floribunda – Bush-trained, compact, own-root plants in 2–3 L standard containers, highlighting strong fragrance and reliable garden performance for main-season bedding benches – target audience/channel: retail garden centres and DIY chains.
- Thematic purple-lilac collection pot – 2–3 L containers grouped into colour-themed ranges showcasing the deep crimson-purple to lilac colour shift and remontant flowering for curated rose collections – target audience/channel: specialist rose nurseries and mail-order resellers.
- Feature fragrance patio specimen – Step-up production from 2–3 L into 40–50 L containers to create strongly scented, bush-trained specimens with repeat flowering for terrace and patio use – target audience/channel: landscape contractors and premium retail.
- Public-realm bedding line – Standard container production of compact, upright bushes with moderate disease resistance and reliable performance, suitable for mass bedding and borders in parks and institutional sites – target audience/channel: municipal and institutional project suppliers.
- Collection-grade authenticated cultivar – Own-root, authenticity-verified plants in 2–3 L pots produced for rose collections and show gardens where long-term regeneration and type fidelity matter – target audience/channel: specialist collections, arboreta and heritage gardens.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose from the Bed rose group; registered cultivar name MACkati, marketed as Old Port Bedding rose MACkati, with Old Port as the American Rose Society exhibition name. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Samuel Darragh McGredy IV (McGredy Roses International, Auckland) from ‘Macsupple’ × ‘Big Purple’; registered 1992 and introduced after 1992, initial distribution via Egmont Roses, New Zealand. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright shrub reaching 80–100 cm in height and 70–90 cm spread; moderately dense, dark green matt foliage (RHS 137A) with sparse prickles, forming a compact, manageable framework for bedding use. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, rosette-shaped blooms with 40+ petals and large flower size (2.75–3.95 in), borne in clusters of 1–3 per stem; remontant with a generous second flowering and weak self-cleaning, requiring deadheading. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep crimson-purple blooms (RHS 77A outer, 77B inner; ARS code m) that lighten through violet-purple to lilac-grey as they age, sometimes shifting toward deep pink in heat, creating a dynamic purple-lilac display over time. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, long-lasting fragrance with a full, perfumed character; the very double form prioritises ornamental and sensory impact rather than pollinator support, as stamens are usually concealed. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is limited because of the very double blooms; when present, small spherical hips 6–10 mm across develop, coloured orange-red (RHS 43A), with minimal visual impact on the overall bedding effect. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Moderate overall disease resistance with good black spot resistance and moderate tolerance to powdery mildew and rust; hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C (H7, Swedish Zone 3, USDA 6b), with moderate heat and drought tolerance if watered. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for borders, cut flower use and specimen planting; medium maintenance with occasional pest and disease control, best produced as a bush-trained, compact plant in standard containers, targeting 2–3 L pots for finished sales. |
Old Port Bedding rose MACkati offers compact, bush-trained, fragrant floribunda performance with reliable hardiness and own-root longevity, supporting predictable, low-replacement nursery programmes; we would be pleased to coordinate specifications, capacity and scheduling with you.
