MÉTRO™ – creamy white hybrid tea rose - McGredy
With its creamy-white, high‑centred blooms and strong, lingering perfume, MÉTRO™ brings a touch of storybook romance to family gardens while remaining reassuringly straightforward to live with. This upright, naturally tidy bush fits neatly into typical UK borders, coping reliably even where gardens are exposed to coastal breezes and frequent rain. In an average plot it offers generous flushes of exhibition‑style flowers for cutting and garden display, without demanding expert knowledge. Planted as an own‑root, container‑grown shrub, it establishes steadily for long‑term longevity, rebuilding from its base if ever cut back hard. Given simple, regular care, you can watch its quiet development – first building roots, then stronger shoots, and by the third season delivering graceful, repeat flowering that anchors a cosy, cottage‑style arbour or seating area. The tall, elegant stems and pointed buds invite afternoon tea moments and thoughtful arrangements, while its medium maintenance needs remain manageable for busy beginners.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Feature rose near a seating or “afternoon tea” corner |
The strong, long‑lasting sweet rose fragrance and large, high‑centred blooms create a romantic atmosphere around benches, arbours or patios, ideal for enjoying calm moments outdoors after work or at weekends, especially for busy homeowners. |
| Cutting bed for home flower arrangements |
Upright growth and long, straight stems with exhibition‑type, pointed buds make it well suited to cutting; repeat flowering provides a steady supply of creamy white blooms for vases without needing specialist florist skills, attractive to hobby arrangers. |
| Traditional cottage-style mixed border |
Moderately dense, dark green foliage and medium height allow it to slot easily among perennials and kitchen‑garden edges, giving a gentle, “girly” cottage look while keeping maintenance at a practical level for cottage‑garden lovers. |
| Small group planting as a border highlight |
Planting in groups at recommended spacing creates a lush, vibrant effect with repeating flushes of flowers; its natural, upright habit forms a coherent, easy‑to‑read structure that still looks ordered in compact gardens, appealing to family gardeners. |
| Specimen rose in a large container |
As an own‑root shrub with upright form, it performs well as a single feature in a substantial 40–50 litre pot, where its long‑term stability and ability to regenerate from the base reduce the need for frequent replacement, ideal for urban balcony owners. |
| Roses for gardens with changeable, breezy weather |
Its robust bush structure and dependable flowering make it a sound choice where summers are cool, breezy or damp, offering reliable display despite unsettled conditions, such as gardens often facing wind and regular rain, reassuring for coastal residents. |
| Long-lived planting for settled family gardens |
The own‑root form supports a naturally long lifespan, with the shrub able to recover from harder pruning or occasional neglect; over the years it matures into a steady presence rather than a short‑term bedding plant, attractive to long‑term planners. |
| Flexible pruning for low-experience gardeners |
Its upright hybrid tea framework responds well to both light and harder pruning, so you can adjust height and density gradually as you gain confidence, without risking the overall plant; this forgiving nature suits beginner gardeners. |
Styling ideas
- Tea-table charm – Place MÉTRO™ by a bistro set, underplanted with lavender and soft catmint to echo its perfume and soften the base – suited to fragrance-focused homeowners.
- Cottage ribbon – Thread a short row along a path with pink lupins and foxgloves, letting the creamy blooms light up the border – ideal for romantic cottage-garden fans.
- Cream-and-gold – Combine with Rudbeckia and airy grasses so the white flowers glow against golden daisies and seedheads – good for those wanting low-fuss seasonal drama.
- Patio statement – Grow one plant in a 50-litre terracotta pot by the back door, pairing with trailing thyme and violas to enjoy scent every time you step outside – perfect for compact urban gardens.
- Evening border – Use small groups among dark-leaved shrubs and deep purple perennials so the pale blooms shine at dusk – appealing to after-work garden relaxers.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose MÉTRO™, registered as MACbucpal, marketed also as Auckland Metro for exhibition; part of the hybrid tea group with creamy white, high‑centred blooms for garden and cutting use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Samuel Darragh McGredy IV (McGredy Roses International, New Zealand) from ‘Sexy Rexy’ × ‘Saturday’; bred around 1982, registered 1988, introduced to the trade in 1990 as a garden and exhibition hybrid tea. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush, around 85–115 cm tall and 50–70 cm wide, with moderately dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickliness; forms a well-shaped, vertical framework suitable for borders or specimen planting. |
| Flower morphology |
Large XL, double blooms with 26–39 petals, high‑centred, pointed buds in classic cut‑rose style; borne mainly in clusters with remontant, abundant repeat flowering providing multiple flushes across the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Flowers open cream‑white with a delicate ivory and peach veil, buds pale yellow‑cream with a pinkish blush; as blooms age, tones fade toward snow‑white, leaving only a faint buttery hue at the petal base. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, long‑lasting sweet rose scent, noticeable both in the garden and in cut stems indoors; selected primarily for ornamental and sensory value rather than for culinary or cosmetic uses, but highly valued for perfume. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces small numbers of decorative, ovoid red hips about 12–18 mm in diameter; hips appear mainly if deadheading is reduced later in the season, adding a modest touch of autumn interest to the shrub. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish zone 3); disease resistance moderate, with average tolerance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust, benefitting from standard garden care and monitoring. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suitable as a border or specimen rose, also for cut flowers and small groups; prefers full sun to partial shade, medium maintenance, regular deadheading, watering in dry spells, and spacing of about 50–90 cm depending on use. |
MÉTRO™ offers fragrant, repeat-flowering creamy blooms on a long-lived, own-root shrub that handles small gardens and container use gracefully; a thoughtful choice if you want enduring romance without demanding care.
