Nevertheless, Burke did maintain a personal collection of plants, yielding many unrecorded species. Hooker named the monotypic African genus Burkea after him, while he was also commemorated in the species' names Acacia burkei, Elephantorrhiza burkei, Hoodia burkei, and Drosera burkeana.
Burke's personal collection of plants contributed to the discovery of numerous undocumented species, which were later named after him by Hooker. The genus Burkea was established in honor of Burke, as well as several plant species like Acacia burkei, Elephantorrhiza burkei, Hoodia burkei, and Drosera burkeana.