Gentian Season Begins in Czechia as Rare, Endangered Flowers Bloom

In Czechia, August and September mark the blooming season for gentians and their smaller relatives, gentianellas — rare, legally protected plants found mainly in the country's limestone regions. The Czech Union for Nature Conservation has declared 2026 the "Year of the Gentian," organising a series of guided walks, educational events and competitions to raise public awareness of the threats facing these species.

According to botanist Jan Moravec, August and September are the best months to spot the fringed gentian (Gentianella ciliata), which experts from the Czech Botanical Society have named "Plant of the Year." Anyone interested can join the mapping effort by submitting their own sightings through a dedicated online portal.

Guided walks across the country

The next themed walk takes place on 15 August, when the "Klenice" branch of the Czech Union for Nature Conservation will lead visitors around the protected Vlčí pole site near Mladá Boleslav. On 22 August, the Bečov Botanical Garden near Mariánské Lázně will host a "Gentian Day," featuring a guided tour, workshops for children and a talk on the project to save the rough gentian. The same day, a walk near Černošín in the Tachov region — guided by botanist Jiří Brabec and zoologist Martin Liška — will let visitors see the marsh gentian and other notable plants.

September brings a packed programme too: on 4 September, a walk in search of fringed gentians in the Radotín Valley of the Bohemian Karst; from 11 to 13 September, a trip to the limestone areas around Sušice and Horažďovice; and on 12 September, two events at once — in the Hrygov Hills in the Olomouc region and on Vinařická hora near Kladno. On 20 September, organisers head to the Opolenec nature reserve in Šumava, home to two species of gentianella.

From 2 to 6 September, the traditional "Weekend for Nature" takes place on pastures near Svitavy, where volunteers can directly help maintain the habitats of the cross gentian and fringed gentian. Project coordinator Eliška Proužová encourages anyone interested to keep an eye on the event calendar on the campaign's website for updates.

Competitions and recorded lectures

Running in parallel is the "Gentian in the Landscape" photo competition, open for entries until 14 October. The art and literary competitions have already concluded, with the results published on the project's website. For those wanting to learn more, recordings from the spring seminar at the House of Nature Conservation in Prague are now available online, featuring experts from the Nature and Landscape Protection Agency, the White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area Administration, and regional branches from Šumava and the Elbe Lowlands, who spoke about efforts to save these plants.

Organisers remind the public that gentians and gentianellas are legally protected species that may not be picked, and that any photography or observation at their natural habitats should be carried out carefully, without causing harm to the plants.

Why 2026 is dedicated to gentians

All Czech species of gentians and gentianellas are endangered, largely due to changes in land use and the direct destruction of their habitats. It is this issue — one that extends far beyond these particular plants — that the Czech Union for Nature Conservation aims to highlight through its year-long campaign, which includes guided walks, volunteer clean-up days, seminars, a travelling exhibition and competitions for children and adults alike. The union has run these themed years since 2020, each time spotlighting a different group of plants or animals in need of protection.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz