The botanic garden is one of only two public gardens among the 10 gardens to earn six stars, in the latest biennial New Zealand Gardens Trust assessment.
"Everyone here is pretty ecstatic about the result," Dunedin Botanic Garden team leader/curator Alan Matchett said.
"It means a lot to everyone who works here.
"It’s a big achievement for us in terms of our professional integrity," he said.
The Dunedin garden’s continued top ranking by the trust was also "good news" for the city, in terms of tourism benefits.
"The garden is an attractive destination for tourists and this is another incentive for them to visit," he said.
Staff at the garden had "a huge sense of pride in terms of what we are able to offer tourists", and positive feedback from tourists was also reflected in comments in the visitor book at the garden’s information centre. The trust’s national internet site, and the Dunedin garden’s own site promoted the facility nationally and internationally.
The garden was a high-quality attraction for tourists, including cruise ship passengers, and many visitors were "pleasantly surprised" by their experiences, despite entry being "something for free".
About 500 cruise ship passengers had visited the garden over the past two days.
The garden offered experiences and activities, including for children, and some visitors appreciated a chance to "chill out".
The only other public garden to gain six-star status from the trust was Otari-Wilton’s Bush, a botanic garden in Wellington, he said.
The six-star rating was the equivalent of the preceding "Garden of International Significance" status, which the Dunedin Botanic Garden was first awarded in 2010.
This is New Zealand’s first botanic garden, having been established in 1863, and it celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2013.
It occupies 30.4ha in North Dunedin and is home to more than 6800 plant species.
• The Larnach Castle garden in Dunedin also enjoys six-star status.
The trust internet site describes this large garden as more than a century old, including a "unique collection of plants", and accompanied by spectacular scenery.
