You’re invited to join us for the Dogwood-Azalea Festival!
🌸🌼Come and explore the 6-mile Dogwood-Azalea Trail, where Charleston comes alive with the breathtaking beauty of dogwoods and azaleas in full bloom.
While the flowers are the highlight, there’s so much more to enjoy! There are a host of events you won’t want to miss in addition to our arts and crafts bazaar. And don’t forget to check out the Dogwood-Azalea After Dark! This includes all our exciting nighttime events, like our famous Candlelight Walk. Click here for more details about this year’s events and activities.
History of the Festival:
In 1951, the Molly French Garden Club was established by women passionate about gardening and enhancing Charleston’s landscape. Having introduced azaleas to the region in the 1940s, they sought early-blooming varieties from the South with help from a respected nurseryman in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. This effort marked the beginning of their ambitious gardening endeavors. Some plants thrived, while others did not.
Shortly after the club’s founding, a member proposed planting dogwoods around Charleston, leading to the first tree initiative in which 150 dogwoods were planted. By 1953, the club launched its first plant sale, offering dogwoods, azaleas, and other plants at affordable prices to encourage civic beautification.
The stunning displays of azaleas and dogwoods soon caught the attention of residents, who eagerly added these plants to their own gardens. To support them, the club provided educational materials and carefully selected hardy varieties for sale.
Over time, Charleston transformed into a picturesque town, with vibrant azaleas blooming beneath pink and white dogwood canopies each spring. Years of successful planting and beautification efforts culminated in the creation of the Dogwood-Azalea Festival, now a celebrated event showcasing Charleston’s floral splendor to visitors.