Botanická zahrada na Chotobuzi

The Chotobuz Botanical Garden is a specialized research and collection garden in Průhonice, run by the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences. It was established on 1 January 1963 under an agreement between the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Agriculture, which set aside a 20-hectare plot at Chotobuz that had previously been used mainly for growing fruit trees. Until 1990 the garden was closed to visitors and served purely as a gene-pool reservation and research site. It was only in 1994 that a 3.5-hectare exhibition section was opened to the public.

What can visitors see in the garden?

The garden is divided into two parts: a working section where gene-pool conservation, propagation and breeding of new cultivars take place, and a display section open to the public. The display area holds one of the three largest publicly accessible iris collections in the world, along with the largest collection of garden roses in the Czech Republic. These are complemented by extensive rhododendron plantings — covering deciduous and semi-deciduous azaleas as well as large-leaved evergreen varieties — plus collections of tree peonies, daylilies and water lilies.

What makes the iris and rose collections stand out?

The iris collection at Chotobuz ranks among the world's most extensive open to visitors, the result of decades of systematic breeding work carried out by the institute. The rose collection, the second largest in the country, brings together both historic varieties and modern cultivars, offering a view of how rose breeding has developed over the years.

How does the garden fit into Průhonice Park?

The Chotobuz Botanical Garden is one of the stops along the visitor route through Průhonice Park, a large landscape estate inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. While the park itself is known for its composition of trees and shrubs developed since the late 19th century, the garden at Chotobuz serves a distinct, scientific purpose: it is a site of systematic research into plant variability and the preservation of genetic diversity among selected ornamental species.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Chotobuz Botanical Garden founded? The garden was established on 1 January 1963, as a joint project of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Was the garden always open to visitors? No — until 1990 it was used exclusively for research and breeding purposes. The exhibition section was opened to the public in 1994.

Which collections is the garden known for? It is known above all for one of the world's three largest public iris collections and for the largest collection of garden roses in the Czech Republic, alongside collections of rhododendrons, peonies, daylilies and water lilies.

Who manages the garden? The Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, which uses the site for plant gene-pool conservation work.