Botanical University Challenge

The BUC crowdfunder has launched! Raising £10,000 to support the 4th Student Botany Festival!!

What is Botanical University Challenge?

An annual contest of botanical knowledge between teams of UK and Irish university students. Universities and botanical institutions can enter teams of students (undergraduate or postgraduates) for this contest. For 2026, 32 teams have entered.

BUC is a fun and friendly competition between teams of undergraduate & postgraduate students. It embraces many aspects of botany including plant ID, taxonomy & evolution, ecology & conservation, plant health, horticulture, agriculture & forestry as well as plants in culture & history.

The initial on-line rounds are multiple choice questions to find the four semifinalist teams, all streamed and recorded on our YouTube channel.

This year, 2026, the four teams from universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Anglia Ruskin and Cambridge will meet in August to reveal the champions of BUC2026. The questions will be free answers and include some on plant material.

The live semifinal and final will be at University of Reading on Wednesday 19 August 2026 to celebrate 10 years of Botanical University Challenge and as part of the university’s celebrations of the centenary of Reading Royal Charter.

The Fourth Student Botany Festival will follow the final, open to all BUC2026 contestants. It will be on 20 – 21 August 2026 and involves networking, talks, career sessions, workshops and visits.

Follow us on social media – TikTok, Instagram, BlueSky or X. As well as recordings of past competitions on our YouTube channel there is information about the teams, interviews with student team members and interviews with botanists about their careers.