North Carolina's Charming Mountain Community Offers Thousands Of Tulips Straight From The Dutch Countryside

You may think the best destination to witness tulip blooms is in the Netherlands, but a small mountain town in the U.S. just 10 miles east of Asheville, North Carolina, might be giving the Dutch a run for their money. Although the state's moderate climate and topographical diversity are perfect for growing a variety of verdant vegetation, North Carolina isn't necessarily known for tulip crops. Yet Swannanoa, a quintessential Carolina mountain town, is home to fields of brightly blooming tulips.

With a population of just over 6,000, Swannanoa is mostly known for its central proximity to both Asheville and Black Mountain, where the famous Craggy Gardens bloom carpets of rhododendrons, violets, blackberries, lilies, and more along the Blue Ridge Parkway, "America's favorite drive." Swannanoa is named after the "beautiful river" that flows through it, so called by original Cherokee inhabitants. In 2024, when Hurricane Helene flooded Asheville and its surrounding mountain villages, it hit Swannanoa particularly hard. The small town was nearly decimated, with dozens of historic bungalows washed away and numerous businesses destroyed.

In the spring of 2025, while still struggling to rebuild post hurricane, Swannanoans suddenly received a visual reminder of hope: carpets of donated Dutch tulips blooming throughout Grovemont Park. Thousands of tulips — and other blooms including hyacinths, peonies, and daffodils — were hand-planted months prior by Marco Rozenbroek, a Swannanoa resident born in the Netherlands, and a group of volunteers. "Flowers give hope," Rozenbroek told Blue Ridge Public Radio. "Planting a bulb is believing in tomorrow."

Just down the road from Swannanoa, the Biltmore Estate, an underrated outdoor paradise in its own right, boasts bountiful, beautiful seasonal blooms — including tulips — and carefully cultivates them for public garden and grounds tours each year. And in the heart of Swannanoa, you'll find the flowers in Grovemont Park. However, tulips are not native to the U.S.,and although some tulip varieties are perennial, in North Carolina's warmer climate, tulips typically have to be replanted each year. So how did thousands of tulips end up gracing the landscapes of Swannanoa?

Marco Rozenbroek, a tulip wholesaler, has lived in Swannanoa for nearly a decade but grew up on a tulip farm in Holland. During the Helene hurricane disaster recovery, he started thinking about something more he could do to encourage his community as it rebuilt. He reached out to DutchGrown, a Netherlands-based tulip bulb supplier, for help, thinking they might send him a couple of boxes of bulbs. Instead, DutchBulbs sent 31 boxes of tulip bulbs, totaling about 10,000 future blooms. Rozenbroek, along with community volunteers, strategized and planned a layout in Grovemont Park, a mutual aid hub and the heartbeat of their community post-Helene. Rozenbroek's layout included one heart-shaped flower bed. He planted the bulbs in winter before the first frost, and when the tulips bloomed in the spring of 2025, they covered the park leading up to the local library in shades of pink, purple, yellow, and white. Although it's not clear yet whether the Swannanoa community will make planting tulips an annual event, during this extended hurricane aftermath and rebuilding, locals say the blooms offer a bright affirmation of hope in the midst of hardship.

The foothills of western North Carolina are full of small mountain towns with vibrant communities, and Swannanoa is one of them, despite the devastation Helene caused — especially when brightened with colorful blooms. But even if you miss the tulips, it's worth spending a day in Swannanoa to explore the local hiking and tiny-town vibe.

Asheville Regional Airport is the closest airport to Swannanoa, about a 25-minute drive away. To get to Swannanoa, head north on NC-280 E and follow the signs to jump onto I-26 W/US-74 W toward Asheville. Merge onto I-40 E, and soon you'll pass the grounds of the Biltmore Estate before taking exit 59, just near the town.

If you want a little more rustic vibe than you can find in Asheville, spend the day in historic Beacon Village in downtown Swannanoa, though keep in mind that the neighborhood is still rebuilding. Similarly, some hiking trails in the area may still be closed due to hurricane damage, so be sure to research the latest updates before you go. When you're ready to refuel, have a beer at the stylish Terra Nova Beer Co., buy a loaf of sourdough at Ovenbird Kitchen, or go to Okie Dokies Smokehouse for ribs and brisket. For something a little different in the area, try a soak or a scrub at Shoji, a Japanese-style onsen spa in nearby Asheville.