The Chotobuz Botanical Gardens and the Genetic Resource Collection

The Botanical Garden Chotobuz was founded on 1 January 1963. From the beginning it has focused on collections for study and expositional purposes that register the development of breeding selected barren plants, their variability and the preservation of gene pools.

Up to the 1990 the garden was closed to the public and was used only for gene pool reservation and research. In 1994 it was opened to the public as an architectural expositional garden (the area of 3,5 hectares). There, visitors can see expositions dedicated to individual families in a representative selection.

Collections

The most significant collection is of the irises. The collection is one of the biggest in Europe. It is part of the National Programme of Conservation and Usage of Plant Genetic Sources and Agro biodiversity. The bases of the collection are mainly German Irises (Iris barbata hort.) but visitors can also see garden cultivars of Siberian Irises (Iris sibirica cv.), Spuria Irises (Iris spuria cv.) and other interesting botanical varieties.

The collection of plants consists 

Garden roses (Rosa): their collection is the second biggest in the Czech Republic. In the flowerbeds on display it is possible to see historic, climbing and shrub roses as well as a rich collection of cluster and miniature roses. Botanical roses, which are now closed to the public, will be included in the collection step by step.

The collection of plants consists

The collection of peonies (Paeonia) introduces original botanical species as well as valuable historic cultivars and hybrids of herbaceous perennial peonies.

The collection of plants consists 

A representative collection of rhododendrons follows the tradition of Průhonice Park. It contains the majority of all the grown groups of rhododendrons – deciduous and semi-deciduous azaleas and large leaf evergreen rhododendrons. Plantation is completed with plants from the heather family (Ericaceae).

The collection of plants consists

Visitors can also admire a general collection of daylilies (Hemerocallis) - either original botanical varieties from expedition collections in Korea or varieties that are grown as vegetables and spices or decorative garden daylilies including new and interesting plants.

The collection of plants consists

Visitors can also see a selection of the most intruiging garden varieties of water lilies (Nymphaea).