Dutch Nature Highlights: Iconic Flowers and Native Wildlife

Plants

• Dutch Iris: Native, blue/purple/white, garden & cut-flower star.
• Tulip: 10,000+ cultivars; Keukenhof showcases 7M bulbs/year. National symbol.
• Daffodil: Cheerful spring staple; narcissus family; yellow, white, orange.
• Hyacinth: Fragrant, Middle Eastern origin; Dutch-grown in blue, pink, purple, white.

Animals

• European Hare: Large, fast, grassland/field dweller; up to 10 lbs.
• Red Fox: Widespread, nocturnal, hunts rodents/rabbits.
• Roe Deer: Small, shy, forest edges; browsers.
• Harbor Seal: Wadden Sea & Delta coasts; social, fish/squid eaters.

Also: Eurasian spoonbill, black-tailed godwit, beaver (reintroduced), wolf (returning). The Netherlands packs biodiversity into a dense, managed landscape.