Ashton L.

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, on the banks of the Ashley River near Charleston, is the Lowcountry’s oldest public attraction. It is a phenomenal horticultural destination, a significant historic and cultural site, and a place of unparalleled natural beauty. Magnolia’s celebrated gardens, which were designed and planted in the mid-nineteenth century, opened to the public in the years immediately following the Civil War. Since then, countless visitors have wandered these paths beneath ancient oak, cypress and magnolia trees festooned with Spanish moss. In late winter, the camellias bloom; Magnolia has thousands of specimens, many of which were cultivated on site. In spring, the blackwater lagoons reflect masses of azaleas, lilies, daffodils, and wisteria; fall brings the smaller but no less lovely Camellia sasanqua, and summer is when the crape myrtle, hydrangeas, and hibiscus come into their own. In every season, the gardens are captivating.