Historic Landscapes

Charles Town and the Low Country are endowed with one of the richest horticultural heritages in America. Throughout Charles Town's history a prominent group of naturalists, botanists, and plant collectors played a significant role in expanding the knowledge of botany, horticulture, and gardening both in America and abroad.

One of the first naturalists to visit Charles Town was the Englishman, Mark Catesby. Catesby came to South Carolina in 1731 and in 1748 published two volumes entitled The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands. Catesby's work was full of interesting and colorful descriptions of the flora and fauna he saw on his journey.

Catesby's description of the plants he discovered brought to the attention of gardeners in the colonies a number of native ornamental trees and shrubs, the most important being the water oak, the dahoon holly, cherry-laurel, fringe tree, and the catalpa.

While on a expedition to Virginia, Catesby found a dogwood tree with rose-colored flowers which had been blown down on to the ground. Many of its branches had taken root, which he transplanted into a garden. This pink variety of the flowering dogwood has become an integral part of southern landscapes.

Interest in the flora of the Low Country attracted two botanists from Pennsylvania, John Bartam and his son William. John Bartram was commissioned by Peter Collinson of London, who was also a botanist to collect plant specimens. Bartam sent the plant specimens back to Collinson in London, who planted them in his botanical garden. Collinson's botanical garden was one the largest and most elaborate in the world for this period.

Many women in Charleston were accomplished botanists and horticultural. Elizabeth Lamboll along with her husband Thomas, designed and constructed one of the first gardens in Charleston, which featured a wide array of flowers and vegetables. The Lambolls are credited with introducing the chinaberry into Charleston. The chinaberry is a fast growing tree and was planted as a shade tree along Charleston's streets.

Martha Logan, throughout her life was noted for her botanical and horticultural work. Her garden contained many valuable plants and shrubs. She exchanged many seeds, roots and and bulbs with John Bartram, who forwarded them to Peter Collinson in England.

During the eighteenth century women were treated as equals by male members of Charleston's botanical and horticultural community. One of the most talented botanist's from this period was a mere girl, Eliza Lucas Pinckney. In the absence of her father at the age of 16, Lucas managed the family plantation on Wapoo Creek near Charles Town. In addition, she conducted experiments to make a high quality die from the Indigo plant.

Eliza Lucas's father sent her indigo seeds from the West Indies, and she experimented for three years, eventually perfecting a method of making blocks of indigo cakes into dye. In 1744, she married a widower, Charles Pinckney, who was also interested in botany and horticulture. After her marriage, Eliza continued her experiments with hemp and flax and revived the silk culture in the Low Country.

Among the Charleston names which have been associated with popular plants is Dr. Alexander Garden, a naturalist was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen and then settled as a practitioner in Charleston in 1752. Dr. Garden was a prominent member of Charleston society both as a physician and as a botanist. Dr. Garden corresponded with Linnaeaus, who honored him by naming the "gardenia" for him. Garden was also the first to describe "Halesia," a small tree with white bell-like flowers which thrived in Charleston's hot and humid climate.

Andre Michaux, a French botanist contributed most to the beauty and variety of the landscape and gardens in and around Charleston. Michaux was commissioned by the French government to investigate and introduce into France plants for reforestation. During the eighteenth century, with the War of Spanish Succession and then the War of Austrian Succession most of France's trees were utilized as timber for battle ships.

Michaux came to Charleston in 1786 and purchased a tract of land in Goose Creek. There he established a garden and nursery in which he grew many valuable native plants and seeds and also a number of introductions from other lands. Michaux introduced the mimosa or silk tree, crape myrtle, tea olive, chinaberry, and gingko tree. He brought to Charleston the Camellia and Azalea, two of the most beloved plants found in southern gardens.