Horticultural taxonomy is the scientific discipline concerned with the identification, naming, and classification of cultivated plants. BBG is one of the few U.S. research institutions to focus on this understudied field. Research topics Staff members of the BBG Science Department publish botanical and horticultural articles covering a wide diversity of important ornamental species.
Current efforts focus on the classification of Begonia and the taxonomy of rock garden plants.
BBG provides a free registration service for new cultivars of unassigned woody plants. The Science Department also provides technical support necessary for the development of BBG's living collections, and in conjunction with the Plant Records staff is verifying the identity and collecting herbarium specimens of all plants currently in cultivation at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.