Archa Bohemica

Archa Bohemica is the name of the natural slope section in the botanical garden, where we have preserved valuable natural areas and transformed some of the less significant ones into new showcase habitats.

Among them are rocky habitats such as the Lower Vltava Valley, which illustrates canyon environments of the Vltava River south of Prague; the Bohemian Karst, which focuses on the limestone flora of Prague's southwestern edge; and serpentinite sites of the Czech Republic, which present diverse serpentine habitats from submontane to thermophilic types.

There is also a chalk slope habitat, representing marlstone hills rich in rare plants. Two wetland areas are included: a fen, showcasing mainly the flora of black-soil lowlands around the Elbe, and a salt marsh, with the widest geographical scope, featuring even Pannonian salt-tolerant species.

The entire exposition is complemented by a granite hollow path with a bed full of very rare plants from across the Czech Republic. Around the bell tower, we have gathered species that are already considered extinct in the wild in the Czech Republic.

All plants originate from natural populations, and since we cultivate them under near-natural conditions, they hold high genetic conservation value. Some of these species are even being reintroduced into the wild.