What is a Remembrance Tree?
Remembrance trees are beautiful living reminders of a person or pet who passed, an event that took place, or a special time in a person’s life. Planting and growing a tree is a wonderful and environmentally friendly way to remember and remind you of a person, pet or an event and keep that memory present every time you view it. Today, you can even use The Living Urn's patented tree urn and planting system to plant the cremated ashes of a loved one with a special tree.
Remembrance Trees for People
Many people plant trees in memory of a loved one who’s passed. This is something that has been done for thousands of years across many cultures. The remembrance tree can grow in your loved one’s honor and be present for decades and even centuries to come. Planting a tree will give you a special place to visit and remember a lost loved one. With so many trees to choose from, you can get a tree that represents your lost loved one – a beautiful blooming pink dogwood, a mighty white or red oak, a peaceful weeping willow, and many more.
Click here to find that perfect tree for your loved one!
Many families are now taking the concept of a remembrance tree a step further and planting a Living Urn tree burial system with some or all of their loved one’s cremated ashes to grow that special remembrance tree. With The Living Urn, the ashes, special soil additives, and tree roots are placed in the biodegradable urn to grow a tree memorial. The Living Urn offers over fifty tree options narrowed down to the ones that grow best in your area by your zip code. The bio urn and planting system along with a 2 to 4’ tree of choice are shipped directly to your doorstep, ready to plant.
Remembrance Trees for Pets
Pets are family and when your pet passes, it can be a time full of strong emotion and grief. A great way to remember a beloved pet who has passed is to plant a remembrance tree in their honor. The entire family can participate in the tree selection and planting process. This makes for a positive and uplifting way for children and others to honor and memorialize their pet. In addition, many families are now taking this a step further and incorporating the cremated ashes of their beloved pet into the planting process with The Living Urn for Pets. With this tree urn for pets, your pet’s ashes are combined with special soil and the roots from a tree in The Living Urn’s pet bio urn to grow a beautiful remembrance tree.
Remembrance Trees for an Event
Many events in world history have had trees planted in memory or kept a tree that existed through the event to serve as a remembrance tree. One, in particular is a pear tree that stood at the site of the horrific events at New York’s World Trade Center in 2001. This particular tree was half burnt and had many of its branches broken, yet survived and is now thriving at the 9/11 Memorial. It has been called the “Survivor Tree” and is one that is visited by millions of people each year. This seedlings from this special tree are distributed around the world each year to areas who have been affected by violence and disaster so they can grow their own remembrance tree. In addition, at the 9/11 Memorial, four hundred and twelve swamp white oaks were planted that, at maturity, will reach 60 feet each providing a beautiful canopy for the surrounding memorial.
People plant remembrance trees to remember all types of events important to them. This can include a birth, graduation, move, new home, promotion, wedding, and funeral, among others. The tree planting symbolizes a certain point in time and is free to grow and thrive in the coming years.
Where to Plant a Remembrance Tree?
Many people choose to plant a remembrance tree in their yard. When the tree is in your yard, you can view it from the kitchen window, from the back patio, when you leave for work or come home, at times of family gatherings, and so on. Other popular places to plant include at a local church, city park, state or national park, golf course, cemetery or memorial park, among others. While some of these options require permission, many groups welcome additional trees and the beauty they provide.
Multiple Remembrance Tree Memorials
Many families are now choosing to divide up their loved one’s ashes and grow multiple remembrance trees with The Living Urn. This is common when they can’t decide on just one tree, when there are multiple family members and each want their own remembrance tree of their loved one, when they have other uses for cremated ashes such as scattering ashes at a special place, or if they just want to keep some of the ashes.
Most Popular Remembrance Trees
When deciding on a special remembrance tree, there are many to choose from and over 70 offered by The Living Urn's tree nurseries.
One of the most popular remembrance trees is the oak tree. The oak is a symbol of strength and longevity. It can live for centuries and is considered the king of trees! The oak shows off its lively red and burgundy leaves in the Fall and is a beautiful site to see. In addition, its acorns attract birds, squirrels and other wildlife.
Another popular remembrance tree option is a maple. It is a resilient tree that can grow and thrive in a variety of climates and soil conditions. In addition, it shows brilliant beautiful orange, red and yellow colors in the Fall and is a fast growing tree that can be enjoyed year-round by family and friends.
The dogwood is yet another popular tree to plant in remembrance. It comes in different varieties that show off their magnificent pink, white and red blooms! It’s a beautiful tree and a wonderful addition to any landscape.
The weeping willow is also a great tree and one commonly planted as a remembrance tree. It has a beautiful dramatic appearance that can’t be matched. With its ground sweeping branches and slender and long leaves, the weeping willow Is a sight to see! Similar to the maple, the willow can adapt and thrive in a variety of soil conditions and climates.
Bonsai trees are another popular option for a remembrance tree. Depending on the type of bonsai chosen, they can live for hundreds of years, can be kept indoors or on a patio, and are beautiful trees that can be easy to care for. Many families are also choosing to grow a remembrance tree of a loved one with a bonsai tree planted in The Living Urn Indoors, an indoor urn or plant urn where you can combine your loved one’s ashes in the urn with a bonsai tree.
Which Remembrance Tree is Right for Me?
If you want to grow a remembrance tree for the death of a loved one, beloved pet, or a life event, there are many tree options to choose from and many places to plant. Hopefully the information we provided is helpful in making the decision on the type of tree and where to plant. However, if a tree is not right for you, many families also choose to plant flowers, a rose bush, or a house plant in remembrance.