The cultivars Pioneer and Norgold Russet are in its ancestry. It was tested as ND1538-1Russ and was released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station on March 1, 1992. Goldrush is a medium maturing russet cultivar grown primarily for the fresh market. Stems are green with purple pigmentation at the base with moderate-sized, waved wings. Flowering is sparse with the flower color being off-white to light lavender.
Flowers are large with orange anthers that shed abundant pollen.
Tuber flesh is very white and tuber dormancy is medium in duration. Goldrush generally produces smooth tubers with few external and internal defects, although they can be variable in shape. Under non-irrigated conditions, U.S. No. 1 yields were comparable to Russet Norkotah, but substantially higher than that of Russet Burbank. Under irrigation, U.S. No. 1 yields of Goldrush are comparable to Russet Burbank. Under both irrigated and non-irrigated conditions, Goldrush has a very low incidence of hollow heart compared to Russet Norkotah or Russet Burbank.