The flower gardens in Kroměříž come alive with camellias – don’t miss this beauty!
Kamélie began to be cultivated in the Květná garden starting in the second half of the 19th century, and by the 20th century, they had become some of the biggest attractions in the kroměříž plant collection. At that time, the collection included several dozen mature specimens across several varieties. Hundreds of camellias can be seen here, flowering in red, pink, and white. This beautiful plant has been grown as an ornamental species in its native lands of China, Japan, and Korea since before the birth of Christ. The foundation of today’s kroměříž camellia collection consists of 40 original camellias, and among these, 10 can reach a remarkable height of over 5 meters. In total, there are about one hundred camellias displayed across both greenhouses, and alongside the camellias, plants like azaleas, orchids, blue-fruited viburnum, and beautiful hammer orchid are also starting to bloom.
This year’s exhibition will feature special guided tours, where you will learn a great deal about the cultural history of camellias. These tours will occur every Wednesday at 14:00 and on Sunday at 11:00 and 14:00.
The exhibition is set to be open from February 14 to March 8 in 2026, every day from 9:00 to 17:00. Admission to the exhibition is included in the entry ticket to the Květná garden, which costs 180 CZK, only 50 CZK for children, and there’s a discounted rate of 140 CZK. The last tickets are sold at 16:00. During the exhibition, you will have the chance to explore the entire Květná garden, buy young camellia plants (complete with detailed care instructions), and pick up some small souvenirs. This year’s camellia exhibition is titled “Camellias and the Fragile Beauty on the Go.”
Evergreen Camellias – A Jewel of Noble Residences
Japanese camellia is an ornamental plant that has been grown in Asia for hundreds of years. It became known in Europe in the 18th century. During the 19th century, collecting camellias was a hobby not just for the nobility, but also for other wealthy classes. Special greenhouses were built for camellias, and the blooming plants were used to decorate winter gardens. The flowers of camellias adorned ball gowns in European courts, while for samurai, this flower symbolizes death and rebirth. Camellias are evergreen shrubs or trees, and there are hundreds of different colorful varieties. Here, they consistently bloom in winter. Even though the era of apartment buildings hasn’t favored camellias much, as they do not thrive in overly dry or heated interiors, camellias have become increasingly popular as flowering plants in recent years.
