Asheville Nursery Turns Storm Damage Into Cherokee Partnership

When Hurricane Helene damaged the property that housed Asheville GreenWorks' nursery for two decades, the community response turned potential loss into a story of collaboration and renewal.

The environmental nonprofit is relocating from the former Lake Craig property to a new site at Smith Millworks in Asheville, North Carolina. Their longtime neighbors, the Men's Garden Club, are donating their greenhouses and hoop houses to support the move.

But this isn't just about salvaging structures. Some of the donated hoop houses will launch a groundbreaking partnership between Asheville GreenWorks and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to research commercial rivercane cultivation.

"These hoop houses are going to help us figure out a commercial way to grow rivercane so we can help repopulate the area," said Eric Bradford, Director of Operations at Asheville GreenWorks. Rivercane, a native bamboo plant, naturally resists flood damage and holds deep cultural significance for Cherokee communities.

The organization needs volunteers this Friday, September 4th, to make it happen. The first shift runs from 10 a.m. to noon for mowing and clearing access to the greenhouses. The second shift tackles deconstruction from noon to 2 p.m., taking apart the structures with hand and power tools.

The Ripple Effect

This move represents more than recovering from storm damage. Asheville GreenWorks grows native trees and plants that community members replant on their properties, creating greener neighborhoods across the region. The rivercane research could restore an ecologically important plant while honoring Cherokee heritage and creating natural flood barriers for future storms.

The generosity of the Men's Garden Club means decades of growing infrastructure won't go to waste. Instead, it's being repurposed to expand environmental restoration work and indigenous plant conservation.

Volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes and long pants for protection against ticks and mosquitoes. The organization will provide all tools and refreshments. The site at 410 Azalea Road East is tricky to find, so organizers recommend searching for John B Lewis Soccer Complex and following the posted signs.

Sometimes storms reveal what communities are made of, and Asheville is showing up with work gloves ready.