What is the Living Urn™?
The Living Urn™ for People and The Living Urn™ for Pets are unique biodegradable urn and planting systems, designed to transform the cremated remains of a loved one into a beautiful and vibrant living memory tree, plant or flowers. Their proprietary design allows for healthy life to grow from a beloved friend or family member's remains, which can otherwise be inhibitive to plant growth. With The Living Urn™, people can celebrate and memorialize the life of a loved one by giving new life to a beautiful tree, plant or flowers.
Who developed The Living Urn™?
The Living Urn™ for People and The Living Urn™ for Pets were developed by a group of entrepreneurial friends, in conjunction with some of the leading arborists and soil scientists in the U.S., with the goal of preserving the natural environment and giving back to the earth. Our idea was inspired by the idea of giving back to nature while, at the same time, creating a living memory to keep our loved ones present in our lives after their passing.
Is The Living Urn™ Patented and Trademarked?
Yes, The Living Urn™ has patents pending in the United States and has a Trademark issued with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
How does The Living Urn™ Biodegradable Urn Planting System work?
The Living Urn™ for People and The Living Urn™ for Pets are simple and easy to use and make the experience of growing a beautiful and vibrant memory tree, plant or flowers from the cremated remains of your loved one an enjoyable experience for you and your family.
You can purchase your Living Urn™ for People or Living Urn™ for Pets online or from select funeral homes, veterinary practices, cemeteries, or cremation service providers. Generally, a funeral home or cremation service provider will present you with the cremated remains in a container that they provide. You can keep the cremated remains in this container and transfer them into the Living Urn™ when you get home or when you're ready to plant. Alternatively, you can provide The Living Urn™ to your cremation service provider or veterinarian and request that they place the cremated remains in your Living Urn™.
After your Living Urn™ is filled with the cremated remains, you can place it back in the bamboo shell container for storage while you wait for your seedling. Be careful to keep your Living Urn™ upright and stored in a dry place where it cannot be tipped over or disturbed.
If you purchased your Living Urn™ online, then you would have selected your tree seedling at checkout (or, alternatively, you would have selected No Seedling if you prefer to purchase a plant or flowers from your local nursery to grow from the remains). If you purchased your Living Urn™ from your cremation service provider, veterinarian or a retail store, then you will need to access your tree seedling voucher found in your box, click on the link on the upper right hand corner of the page and follow the instructions to select the seedling of your choice.
If you chose an Evergreen tree seedling, it will arrive within 3 to 10 days from the time you place your order. Then, simply follow the easy to use instructions provided. You should plant your Evergreen Tree Seedling as soon as possible after it arrives.
If you chose a Seasonal Tree Seedling to plant with your Living Urn™, store your Living Urn™ while you wait for your Seasonal Tree Seedling to arrive. Seasonal tree seedlings are shipped in the spring and fall - if ordered from the beginning of April through mid-November, your seasonal tree will be shipped between November 1st and December 10th. If ordered between mid-November and the end of March, your seasonal tree will be shipped between February 26th and May 30th. Exact shipping dates subject to change due to weather and your local growing area
What do I get when I purchase The Living Urn™?
The Living Urn™ for People and The Living Urn™ for Pets are Biodegradable Urn and Planting Systems that include everything you need to plant and grow a beautiful memory tree, plant or flowers. Our systems are comprised of only the highest quality materials, components and seedlings. Furthermore, we take great pride in only using high quality, all natural 100% biodegradable environmentally friendly and sustainable materials to make our urn and bamboo outer shell packaging. You will receive the following with each Living Urn purchase:
- Biodegradable Urn
- Natural Bamboo Outer Storage Container
- Bag of Premium Growth Mix
- Bag of Ash Neutralizing Agent
- Bag of Aged Wood Chips
And, you have the option to receive a Premium Tree Seedling or not to receive a tree seedling, and instead, purchase a plant or flowers from your local nursery to incorporate with the Living Urn™.
Why is it better to grow a memory tree from a seedling instead of a seed?
Growing a memory tree from a seedling is simple and easy and has a much higher success rate compared to trying to grow a tree from a seed. First off, germination failure rates with seeds can be very high. Also, some species of seeds may require special treatment to assist with germination and this can be cumbersome and difficult. In addition, even if you are lucky enough to achieve successful early germination with a seed, surviving natural environmental factors such as weather, temperature, and other conditions such as wildlife can be a challenge.
We want the experience of growing a memorial tree from the ashes of a loved one to be a simple, easy and enjoyable experience for you and your family. We also want to be sure a beautiful, healthy and vibrant tree grows from the remains to honor your loved one. Therefore, our unique, proprietary growing system is designed to integrate seedlings, not seeds where failure rates are high. For this reason, we provide our customers with the very best, premium seedlings to ensure your loved one is memorialized in the right way and in a manner that they deserve.
What's the difference between an Evergreen Tree Seedling and a Seasonal Tree Seedling?
Why Evergreen? - The Evergreen option is best for those that like the elegance and resilience of evergreen or conifer trees and want to receive and plant their tree seedling right away. The pine, spruce and cypress evergreen options are famously hardy species and can be planted in a very wide range of geographic areas. If you select an Evergreen Tree Seedling type at checkout, it will arrive on your doorstep within 3 to 10 days from the date of purchase ready to plant (or, if you purchased your Living Urn™ at a retail store, you receive a voucher for an Evergreen Tree Seedling -- simply visit the link in the upper right hand corner of our website and follow the steps to select your Evergreen Tree Seedling or call us at (800) 495-7022 to make your selection). Plant your seedling as soon as possible after it arrives.
Why Seasonal? - Our Seasonal Tree Seedlings include a wide range of beautiful, diverse and popular tree species, with over 20 types of trees available (specific trees offered vary by planting region). Unlike the Evergreen tree options, our Seasonal tree options require special consideration on where they are planted (geographic planting zone) and when they are planted (specific window of time in the spring or fall). For this reason, if you select a Seasonal tree, we provide you with a variety of options tailored specifically to your geographic growing zone identified by your zip code. We will ship your Seasonal Tree Seedling to you when it is the optimal time for it to be planted so your special memory tree will grow and flourish. Our Seasonal tree option is best for those not interested in memorializing their loved one with an Evergreen tree and those willing to wait to plant their seedling and their Living Urn™ until the appropriate and optimal time. Your Seasonal Tree Seedling will arrive at your doorstep when the time is right for planting, typically in the spring or fall months. Plant your Living Urn™ and seedling in The Living Urn™ as soon as possible after it arrives.
When will I receive my tree seedling?
Evergreen Tree Seedling –
If you purchase your Living Urn™ online, and select an Evergreen Tree at the time of your purchase, it will be shipped to your doorstep within 3 to 10 days from the time of purchase.
If you purchase your Living Urn™ from a veterinarian, a cremation service provider, cemetery, or a retail store, then you will receive a voucher, found in your box, to choose and redeem your Evergreen tree. To redeem your tree, simply visit the web link provided or contact us at (800) 495-7022. Your beautiful Evergreen tree seedling will arrive at your doorstep within 3 to 10 days from the date of purchase and you will receive an email confirmation providing you with an estimated time of arrival. Plant your seedling as soon as possible after it arrives.
Seasonal Tree Seedling –
If you purchase your Living Urn™ online, and select a Seasonal Tree Seedling at the time of your purchase, you will receive a voucher code by email. If you purchase your Living Urn™ from a funeral home, veterinarian, a cremation service provider, cemetery, or a retail store, then you will receive a voucher, found in your box, to choose and redeem your Seasonal tree. To redeem your Seasonal tree, simply contact us at (800) 495-7022 or trees@thelivingurn.com.
Seasonal trees must be planted at specific times of the year to ensure healthy growth and/or survival. Therefore, Seasonal tree seedlings are sent according to your local climate and this year's weather. To be sure that your trees arrive in a strong and healthy condition, we ship your Seasonal tree seedlings typically in the spring or fall.
Fall Shipping for Seasonal Tree Seedlings: If you purchase your Living Urn and select your Seasonal tree sometime in May through mid-November, then you should expect to receive your tree seedling during the fall shipment window from November 1 to December 10. Tree seedlings can be planted until the ground is frozen solid. If possible, plant your trees within 5 days upon arrival. See our Planting Instructions at the ‘Instructions’ link above for more information. You will receive an email that gives you the estimated shipping time after you redeem your tree.
Spring Shipping for Seasonal Tree Seedlings: Our Seasonal trees can be planted during a broad range of weeks or months during the springtime - from when the frost first leaves the ground through late spring. If you purchase your Living Urn™ and select your Seasonal tree seedling between November 13th and May 1st, then you should expect to receive your Seasonal Tree Seedling during the spring shipment window from February 26 and May 30. If possible, plant your trees within 5 days upon arrival. You will receive an email that gives you the estimated shipping time after you redeem your tree.
What is the guarantee on the tree seedlings?
Your tree seedlings are guaranteed to arrive in a good, healthy condition or we'll replace them at no charge. Seasonal (deciduous) tree seedlings will generally be delivered leafless with a few swollen buds, while Evergreens tree seedlings (conifers) will have needles. To confirm that the trees are alive, lightly scratch the seedling with your thumb nail. This should reveal a living layer of green tissue...your assurance that the seedlings are alive and ready to be planted.
Please contact us at (800) 495-7022 or info@TheLivingUrn.com if you have any issues or questions regarding your tree seedling.
Why are you not able to ship Seasonal Tree Seedlings to Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii?
Local and state regulations prohibit us from sending Seasonal trees to these states. For this reason, we recommend either selecting one of our Evergreen Tree Seedlings or simply going to a local nursery and purchasing a seedling of your choice to grow from the cremated remains of your loved one in The Living Urn™. If you purchase your seedling locally, simply follow our planting instructions to integrate with the Living Urn™ system.
If I am waiting for a Seasonal Tree Seedling, can I change my shipping address once an order has been placed?
Yes. Please contact us at (800) 495-7022 ext. 0 or email us at trees@thelivingurn.com and we will be happy to assist you in making the necessary changes to your order.
In my Living Urn™ I received a special “Ash Neutralizing Agent” and a special “Premium Growth Mix”. What are the purposes of these components and are they important?
Cremated remains or ash from both, humans and pets, have a high pH level and cause the surrounding soil environment to become highly alkaline when buried in the ground. Furthermore, cremated remains also contain sodium in elevated levels. As such, cremated remains, when mixed or placed in soil, can create an environment inhibitory to plant growth.
Understanding this challenge, we have worked for years with leading arborists and soil scientists to perfect a special “Ash Neutralizing Agent” that is added on top of the cremated remains in the Living Urn™ system (see planting Instructions by clicking on ‘Instructions’ above) to buffer and neutralize the basic nature of the cremated remains and normalize the pH levels in the soil to levels suitable for healthy plant growth. Furthermore, our Ash Neutralizing Agent and Premium Growth Mix serve to dilute the surrounding environment from the effects of the concentrated sodium in the cremated remains. Without our agent, the seedling would be in an environment too basic and salty to thrive. The Living Urn™ for People and The Living Urn™ for Pets Biodegradable Urn and Planting Systems incorporate these special additives to allow you to grow a beautiful and vibrant memory tree, plant or flowers with ease from the cremated remains of your loved one and create a healthy living memorial to keep them present in your life.
The outer bamboo shell is beautiful - what is this used for?
While the Living Urn™ itself is more than sufficient to hold and store the cremated remains of a loved one, the outer bamboo shell can be used to hold the urn filled with cremated remains when you transport the remains or while you store the remains at your home waiting for your tree seedling to arrive. This provides an attractive and dignified solution to hold and store the cremated remains of your loved one.
After you plant your Living Urn™, you can use the beautiful bamboo shell as a special container to store small possessions of your loved one, as a flower pot in the garden, or anything else that you can think of!
Why is The Living Urn™ the best urn planting system?
While there are presently several urn products available on the market that integrate a tree seed, The Living Urn™ for People and The Living Urn™ for Pets are the only systems that integrate actual seedlings and provides an all-in-one kit offering, by far, the best product, quality and value.
With The Living Urn™ for People and The Living Urn™ for Pets you can receive a premium tree seedlings of your choice delivered to your door and ready to be planted with your urn. We offer more than 30 tree species and our order platform selects the most popular and interesting species specifically for your geographic area identified by your zip code. The other products may offer a single type of pine seed or a variety of seed choices but most do not guide you on what tree species is best for your specific planting zone. Furthermore, the reason we provide seedlings is because they have the best success rate so you can grow a beautiful healthy tree. Growing a tree from seeds, on the other hand, can be challenging and can have a high rate of failure.
In addition, our Living Urn™ product and packaging are made from all natural and sustainable materials, respectively, where our competitors use packaging materials that are destructive to the environment and have a high carbon footprint.
Is the Living Urn™ all natural and environmentally friendly?
Yes, The Living Urn™ for People and The Living Urn™ for Pets are made entirely from plant waste and cellulose. The Living Urn™ is all natural and there are no glues or toxic materials added to the process to build our product. Instead we rely on a combination of wetting and drying our materials and applying pressure to form our urns. All of our products are handmade and do not involve machinery or chemicals providing us with a very modest carbon footprint.
Our boxes, or outer shells, are handmade from 100% all natural bamboo, which is a sustainable material.
We pride ourselves in using only environmentally friendly and all natural materials in our urn, additives and outer shell packaging.
Can I buy the Living Urn™ to use now with cremated remains of a loved one that I have stored for years?
Absolutely! The Living Urn™ can be used with any ash stored in another urn. Simply transfer the cremated remains from your urn to The Living Urn™ whenever your seedling arrives and you are ready to plant. You can plant ash of any age with The Living Urn™.
Does The Living Urn™ or any of its components have an expiration date?
No, the biodegradable urn, Ash Neutralizing Mix, Premium Growth Mix and Aged Wood Chips we provide do not have an expiration date. If you plan to store your Living Urn™ for a long period of time then we suggest you store it in a dry place. However, because tree seedlings have a shelf life, we highly recommend you plant your seedling within a few days of its arrival in the mail.
Do I need to plant the seedling provided with my Living Urn™ or can I plant something else with the Living Urn™?
While we recommend using the seedlings that we provide, as they are of the highest quality, you can use the Living Urn™ to plant other tree seedlings or plants you purchase on your own. Simply follow the process provided in our planting instructions and adapt for your plant.
May I be a distributor of The Living Urn™?
Yes, if you are a funeral home crematorium, veterinarian or funeral product distributor, we would love to work with you! Please contact us at info@TheLivingUrn.com to learn more about our support programs and special packages designed specifically to have The Living Urn™ be a part of your business.
Is it secure to purchase on TheLivingUrn.com webpage?
Yes. Our website uses the Shopify web payment platform. You can purchase The Living Urn™ using VISA, MasterCard, AMEX or other credit cards in addition to PayPal.
Shopify includes an SSL certificate that uses industry standard 128 bit encryption technology. This is the same level of encryption used by large banks to keep your information secure. Furthermore, Shopify is certified Level 1 PCI DSS compliant which allows it to accept VISA, MasterCard, and other credit cards. Shopify is very serious about security and have invested significant time and money to certify that Shopify is PCI compliant. From annual on-site assessments validating compliance to continuous risk management, we work hard to keep credit card and other sensitive data secure.