Václav Větvička, a prominent Czech botanist who directed the Prague Botanical Garden for 15 years and authored more than 30 books with combined print runs exceeding 1.5 million copies, has died at the age of 88. He passed away on Wednesday evening at the Hamza Treatment Institute in Luže-Košumberk. A private farewell will be held for family.
Born on 13 January 1938, Větvička led the garden from 1992 to 2007, overseeing the construction of new tropical and subtropical greenhouses. His best-known work, Trees and Shrubs, reached 35 editions, including ten in France. He was instrumental in establishing 20 October as Arbor Day in the Czech Republic.
His honours included the Vojtěch Náprstek Medal from the Academy of Sciences in 2004, the Medal of Merit from President Miloš Zeman in 2018, and the Council for Research, Development and Innovation chairman's prize in 2019. The Hamza Institute's director said Větvička, a visitor to its arboretum for 28 years, will be honoured at its autumn closing ceremony.