Biltmore Bloom Report

June 2025

Cool mountain mornings make for enjoyable walks through the gardens. Our staff has completed the annual summer installation, and the tropical plants—safely overwintered in our greenhouses—are now on full display for all to enjoy. These vibrant tropical displays, both inside the Conservatory and throughout the grounds, take hundreds of hours to create and offer our talented horticulturists a chance to showcase truly unique specimens.

June is an ideal time to admire the diverse varieties of hydrangeas blooming across the estate. Large beds of Annabelle Hydrangea can be found near The Inn, while Oakleaf Hydrangea adds texture and beauty throughout the gardens. Abelia, though more delicate in bloom, is another standout, its small flowers buzzing with bees busily gathering pollen.

It’s not just the shrubs putting on a show this month: trees are also in bloom. Look for the elegant blossoms of Stewartia, the dramatic plumes of Smoke Tree, and the graceful blooms of Sourwood and Sweetbay Magnolia.

With June’s warm days, perennials are bursting with color in the Walled Garden, Shrub Garden, and Antler Hill Village. The rich variety of color, texture, and form adds to the enchantment of Summer at Biltmore.

—Bill Quade, Director of Horticulture

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Vibrant tropical displays, like this one outside the Conservatory, allow Biltmore’s talented horticulturists to showcase truly unique specimens. June 2025.

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Blue-flowering Nigella, sunny yellow Coreopsis, and Allium’s purple globe-like blooms illuminate Biltmore’s Butterfly Garden. June 2025.

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In Biltmore’s Shrub Garden, this dazzling Hydrangea shows off abundant clusters of blush-pink blooms. June 2025.

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Large planters filled with a colorful array of annuals and palms grace the front of Biltmore House. June 2025.

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Oakleaf Hydrangea adds texture and beauty throughout Biltmore’s gardens and right here, in Antler Hill Village. June 2025.

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Guests at The Inn enjoy a relaxing moment as blooming Oakleaf Hydrangea and a full-flower Fringe Tree brighten the landscape behind them. June 2025.

Biltmore’s Evolving Landscape

A General Guide to What Blooms When

March Blooms at Biltmore

March usually offers spring’s first pops of color. Witch hazels, with bursts of orange, red, and yellow, are striking against the evergreens. Joining them are early season Daffodils, Lenten rose (Hellebore), Snowdrop, and Hyacinth, which create a splendid lower canopy of color across the estate.

The early blooming shrubs our gardeners have worked so hard to maintain, such as Japanese pieris, Spirea, and Winter jasmine, offer bold statements. The Cornelian cherry dogwood shows off clusters of tiny star-shaped flowers, and the blossoms of white and black pussy willow in the Azalea Garden signal winter’s passing and spring’s imminent arrival. Now brimming with Tulips, Daffodils, and Grape hyacinth, our Conservatory is also home to a stunning collection of Orchids at peak bloom.

March Daffodils in Biltmore's Gardens

April Blooms at Biltmore

Seasonal Tulips and Daffodils steal the show in April, seen in beds at the estate’s entrance, in the Walled Garden, and in Antler Hill Village. The Redbuds, Serviceberry, and Flowering dogwoods show plenty of color throughout the estate, enhancing the drive up the Approach Road and time spent in our gardens.

Each day, new plants bloom in the gardens near Biltmore House; as Forsythia begins to fade, Quince, Viburnum, and Fothergilla step into the spotlight. Azaleas begin to flower in April, and as their blooms continue to intensify, our Azalea Garden becomes a glorious tapestry of hues.

April Tulips in Biltmore's Walled Garden

May Blooms at Biltmore

In May, the Mountain laurels, accompanied by the Catawba hybrid rhododendrons, should be in full bloom along the Approach Road and within the gardens, offering a dazzling welcome for Biltmore’s guests. Adding to this lush, colorful display: Kousa dogwood, Sweetshrub, Mock orange, Yellowwood, and Fringe trees.

Peak bloom builds in the Rose Garden with this month’s warm weather, which will push herbaceous perennials toward making bold color statements of their own. Peony, False indigo, and Iris create a rich layer of color throughout the Walled Garden, a lovely complement to the spring annuals and the blooming American wisteria that grows along the east wall. Quite fragrant, these lovely, drooping lilac-to-bluish-purple clusters also adorn the arbor to the Winery and the trellis behind Village Hotel.

May Roses in Biltmore's Walled Garden

June Blooms at Biltmore

Cool mountain mornings make walks through the gardens a truly delightful experience. The annual summer install is complete and tropical plants that spent the winter months inside greenhouses are now outside for everyone to enjoy.

June is a wonderful time to see a variety of Hydrangeas in bloom throughout the gardens, in Antler Hill Village, and at The Inn. Although they offer smaller blossoms than Hydrangea, Abelia is an equally striking plant to see in bloom; it’s such a joy to watch bees dart in and out of the flowers collecting pollen. With June’s warmer days, perennials will undoubtedly add plenty of color within the Walled Garden and smaller beds across the Shrub Garden.

June Hydrangeas in Biltmore's Gardens

July Blooms at Biltmore

Biltmore is beautiful in July, offering spectacular views for guests to enjoy throughout our gardens and grounds. In Antler Hill Village, wave upon wave of Sunflowers rise skyward and share their cheerful full-bloom faces.

Hydrangeas, Crepe myrtles, Butterfly bush, Vitex, and Sourwood are blooming, adding a variety of vibrant blossoms and a valuable source of nectar for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

While strolling the gardens, be sure to stop at the Conservatory to see the incredible tropical displays our gardeners have created which feature Palms, Banana, Bromeliads, Begonia, Ginger, Plumeria, and Tropical hibiscus.

August Blooms at Biltmore

By August, the summer annuals—meticulously tended since May by the estate’s talented gardeners—are in full bloom.

The Water lily display in the Italian Garden is an absolute delight as you begin a stroll through the gardens.

The blossoms of Hydrangeas and Abelia throughout the Shrub Garden highlight the taller blooming Crepe myrtle, Vitex, and Butterfly bushes.

August Water Lilies in Biltmore's Gardens