Charleston County · Marker 10-54
French Botanical Garden
W. Aviation Ave., just E of its intersection with S. Aviation Ave., W of I-26 at Exit 211A, North Charleston
Front inscription
André Michaux (1746-1802), botanist to Louis XVI of France, lived here 1786-96. He established a botanical garden 300 yards north in order to export native American trees and plants to France. Michaux was the first to import the camellia, crape myrtle, mimosa, parasol tree, and sweet olive to North America and the gingko and tea plants to this area. His son closed the garden in 1803.