Royal Anthos—the Dutch trade association for flower bulb and nursery product exporters—installed a striking tulip-shaped artwork along the highway, A44, just before the Leiden/Katwijk exit toward Wassenaar, where United States President Donald Trump and his trade delegation travel as they visit the Netherlands for the NATO summit. The artwork, shaped like a tulip and featuring the colors of the American flag, symbolizes the long-standing relationship between the Dutch flower bulb sector and the United States.
The Artwork That Stopped Traffic
Created by renowned Dutch artist Wilma Mesman, this stunning piece features a stylized tulip incorporating the red, white, and blue colors of the Star Spangled Banner, set against a backdrop of authentic Dutch tulip fields complete with traditional windmills and subtle drone imagery symbolizing innovation in the flower bulb sector.
The artwork's most striking feature is its ingenious blend of Dutch and American symbolism. While blue tulips don't exist in nature, Wilma created a stylized tulip sculpture that reflects the American flag within the tulip's form, surrounded by thousands of red ones—a color that appears in both the U.S. flag and represents Trump's Republican Party. This creative interpretation makes the artwork a symbol of international cooperation between the two nations.
The Artist’s Idea and Vision of 'Diplomatic Flowers' in Action
Wilma, the creative behind this diplomatic masterpiece, brought her extensive experience in the international flower industry to this special commission. Known for her passion for Dutch bulb flowers and her ability to create meaningful artistic connections, she used a combination of AI variants and Photoshop techniques, drawing from her own creative and spiritual inspiration. The artwork reflects her characteristic style of bold color combinations and abstract designs that make her pieces some of the most standout artworks.
The technical execution of the piece fuses traditional Dutch flower artistry with modern digital innovation. Subtle drone imagery in the background symbolizes the sector's keenness on innovation and sustainability, while authentic Dutch icons in the skyline connect the artwork to its cultural bearing.
This tulip installation exemplifies the concept of ‘flower diplomacy’—using horticultural beauty to strengthen international relationships. The timing of the artwork's display, coinciding with the NATO summit, perhaps shows how the flower industry can contribute to diplomatic efforts while promoting trade interests. In all, it shows the shared values and economic ties that bind the Netherlands and the United States, with the tulip symbolizing friendship and cooperation.
Royal Anthos and the Dutch Floral Heritage
Royal Anthos, the Dutch trade association that has represented flower bulb and nursery product exporters since 1900, is the backbone of the Netherlands' flower bulb industry, facilitating trade relationships and promoting Dutch horticultural expertise globally. The association recognized that while President Trump's visit focused on international security and NATO cooperation, it presented a unique opportunity to highlight the long-standing economic relationship between the Netherlands and the United States positively and visibly.
Mark-Jan Terwindt, Managing Director of Royal Anthos, notes:
“This symbolic tulip along the highway is our sector’s greeting to a valued trade partner. We hope that President Trump and his entourage, as they pass by, will recognize the value of our long-standing cooperation. American growers can only thrive when they have continued access to top-quality Dutch flower bulbs. These products are vital—both for growers and for American consumers.”
Plus, the choice of location was strategic, positioned along the route that Trump and his trade delegation are travelling, ensuring maximum visibility for this floral diplomacy. The artwork showcases Royal Anthos's enthusiasm about promoting Dutch flower bulb exports, which generate approximately 650 million euros annually, with the United States being the leading export destination at 120 million euros.
A Century of Thriving Partnership
Much more than just aesthetic beauty, the tulip artwork celebrates a trade relationship that has thrived for over a century. The United States remains one of the largest export markets for Dutch flower bulbs, with many of these bulbs being used in domestic American flower production, which depends on healthy, certified starter material from the Netherlands. This partnership has created an integrated supply chain that benefits both nations.
The strength of this relationship is evident in the numbers—the Dutch export at least a billion flower bulbs to the United States annually, with tulips being the most popular varieties at approximately 450 million bulbs. This trade is facilitated by the USDA pre-clearance program, a trust-based system that has operated for more than 65 years, allowing Dutch bulbs to be inspected in the Netherlands before shipment to the United States.
Photos by Marcel Verheggen
