Trees

Prague is not only a treasury of architectural monuments, created in the course of the past centuries. It is also characterized by an irrepetitive symbiosis with nature the elements of which have penetrated to the very city centre. One of the natural elements participating significantly in the formation of urban environment of Prague are the wood species, whether they form suburban woods, parks and gardens, areas within house blocks or street avenues.
Prague trees also have a rich history. There is no ancient tree in Prague of the type of the St. Wenceslas oak in Sochov near Kladno, the Oldřich oak in Peruc or the Charles lime in Klokočov. However, one of the oldest trees in Prague is the yew growing in the quadrangle of the former Franciscan monastery near Jungmann Square in the very centre of Prague which is alleged to be contemporary with the construction of the Church of Our Lady of the Snow, founded by Charles IV in 1437. The monastery building itself is a Baroque structure dating from the 17th century and the age of the yew tree seems to correspond with it. Two other beautiful yew trees can be found in the former garden of Turbová farm in Prague 5 and a major number of this species in the Lobkovicz Garden (dating from the beginning of the 19th century when this garden was converted into a landscaped park).

The Počernice Pond area...
The Počernice Pond area (PP) has a number of old trees.

A very old oak grows near the gamekeeper's lodge in Čimický Háj. Further specimens of old oaks can be found in the Royal Game Preserve on an elevated island in the middle of the former Rudolphian pond in its centre, beyond the rose garden. Obviously they were planted after 1593, after the completion of the Rudolph Gallery and the ponds. These oaks are said to have survived the devastation of the Game Preserve by the French army in 1740, as they were used as the camouflage of a battery of guns, and by the Saxon army in 1741-1742, perhaps because of their inaccessibility on the island. Further old oaks, which perhaps witnessed the excution of farmers after the suppresion of their rebellion in 1775, are still growing in the middle of the grove near Ctěnice. Of approximately the same age are the oaks in the margin of the Cibulka park in Prague 5, the oaks at the Miličov ponds and the boundary oak on the eastern margin of the Krč and Kunratice Woods.
Also numerous exotic wood species have been planted in Prague, of the order of some 300 taxons. The richest collections of wood species can be found in the Royal Game Preserve in Bubeneč, Havlíčkovy Sady in Prague 2, Charles Square park in Prague 2, Santoška in Prague 5, Kinský Garden in Prague 5, Petřín Park and others. It is interesting that the number of the biggest trees in Prague includes also the maple-leafed plane (Platanus acerifolia) growing in the garden of the Grand Priory in the Lesser Town. The circumference of its trunk 130 cm above ground leves was 620 cm in 1996. It has its history and is mentioned in the works of fiction (Jindřiška Smetanová, Karel Krejčí). As it is growing in favourable conditions, its age will not be as long as it would seem at first sight. Powerful specimens of this taxon can be found also in Charles Square, Kampa and Kinský Garden.
On the other hand, the number of oldest common horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastnum) will include the group of these trees in the Hvězda game preserve, terminating the main vista from the summer house to the Liboc gateway. According to preserved documents the group was planted in 1745 and, consequently, is some 250 years old. The number of oldest speciments in the Czech Republic includes also the ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) growing in the Royal Game Preserve in the area of the former garden near the Governor's summer house. In the past this area used to be the private garden of the Castle burgraves and subsequently of the Governors of Bohemia. It was adapted to a park by Joseph Fuchs in 1805 - 1811 in connection with the summer house reconstruction. It was probably at that time or a few years later that the ginkgo was planted as a rarity also elsewhere.
The list of wood species by Jiří Braul of 1844 mentions it under the then used denomination of Salisburia adiantifolia. In 1993 the periphery of its trunk 130 cm above ground level was 345 cm. (As the first introduction to Bohemia the ginkgo was planted in Hluboš in 1809.)
Remarkable was also the Turkish hazel (Corylus colurna) in the garden of Strahov Monastery, some 200 years old, which had withered recently and was replaced with a new seedling. This garden has also an exceptional specimen of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa). The old pear tree in the Seminary Garden is connected with the name of Jan Neruda, the weeping willow on Charles Square with the name of Jaroslav Vrchlický. However, the present willow tree is an offspring of the initial tree below which Jaroslav Vrchlický allegedly used to sit.
Remarkable is also the historical avenue in the present street Pod Kaštany (Below Chestnuts). The initially lime tree avenue bordered the road leading from Prague Castle to the summer house in the Royal Game Preserve. There is an imperial charter ordering its protection which is one of the oldest documents on tree protection (Vacek F., 1923). It was not until last century that the lime trees were replaced with chestnuts.
As it has been mentioned earlier, there are only two trees protected in Prague. This is due i.a. to the fact that numerous old trees grow in protected areas or parks and gardens and, consequently, are protected under the Monument Conservation Act. In spite of that, however, some 100 trees were selected in 1996 which could be declared memorable trees under the Nature and Landscape Protection Act.

Memorable Trees Declared in Prague
Prague 5
1. Small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata), cad. Třebonice, lot No. 339. C: 484 cm, H: 12 m, A: 250 years.
Prague 7
2. Common oak (Quercus robur), cad. Bubeneč, lot No. 1893/9. C: 410 cm, H: 18 m, A: 125 years.

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Schematic map of Prague with the trees proposed for protection.

The list which follows contains 74 trees the protection of which under the Act No. 114/1992 CoL is under preparation in the first phase.
(C - circumference, measured 130 cm below above ground level, H - height, A - age, cad. - cadastral area.)

Prague 1

Prague 2 Prague 3 Prague 4 Prague 5 Prague 6 Prague 7 Prague 8 Prague 9 Prague 10 Prague 12 Prague 15 Prague - Březiněves Prague - Dolní Chabry Prague - Dolní Počernice Prague - Dubeč Prague - Horní Počernice Prague - Kbely Prague - Klánovice Prague - Koloděje Prague - Kolovraty Prague - Kunratice Prague - Křeslice Prague - Nedvězí Prague - Přední Kopanina Prague - Satalice Prague - Suchdol Prague - Šeberov Prague - Troja Prague - Uhříněves Prague - Újezd nad Lesy Prague - Újezd Prague - Vinoř Prague - Zličín

CONTENTS