Planting A Memorial Tree

A tree is a popular choice for remembering a loved one. It’s a long-lasting tribute and adds to the natural environment.

One of the appeals of this type of memorial is that the tree can often be planted in a place that was significant to your loved one. And although you’d need to speak to the local authority first, councils offer a variety of options for planting memorials in their parks and green spaces.

Obviously if you want to plant on private land, you’ll need the permission of the landowner, and in this circumstance it’s always worth remembering that in the future you might not be able to visit. So if that’s important to you, it’s worth checking all your other options.

If your loved one had a particular fondness for an area, a park, for example or a beach it may be possible to plant a memorial tree in that space.

Local authorities will have rules around what can and can’t be planted in their green spaces. It’s important that the type of tree fits in with the environment, so in most cases the councils will supply and plant the tree on your behalf too.

You can also usually place a memorial plaque at the base of the tree. First check the local council’s regulations on the script length and the plaque’s dimensions.

Funeral directors in the area will know what the rules are, and it’s particularly useful if you’re pre-planning a funeral. Or just type funeral directors near me into Google to get a list of prospective funeral directors near where you want to place the memorial tree. The local funeral director you are using for the service will be able to give you more detail about what memorial options are available in your area.

Some authorities, for example, have specific avenues of remembrance, with trees already planted. Here you can dedicate a tree to a loved one and there’s often a simple memorial message on display.

Having the perfect tree in your own garden, one that’s in memory of a loved one, can be a hugely comforting thing. Watching it grow as each season passes can be a hugely poignant thing for those left behind.

And the biggest advantage of this is that you can pick whatever tree you want. The flipside is that if you move the tree will have to stay where it’s been planted.

There are other considerations when planting a tree at home too.

An exotic tree might be beautiful. But it could become a burden if it’s hard to maintain and needs lots of attention. You don’t want to get into the scenario where the tree fails because it can’t be maintained or isn’t right for a recipients’ circumstances. That could be distressing in itself.

Also, size is important. Trees grow and one that outgrows its space is going to be remembered for the wrong reasons. A shrub might be a perfectly good alternative in this situation.

Don’t opt for a tree because it’s cheap either. Smaller trees often cost less but are less established. A grieving relative might not have the strength to nurse a tree during the early months.

Your local nursery will have people on hand to give you advice on selecting the right tree for the garden and the recipient. It will help you better understand the scale of the planting.

Shrubs and flowers are certainly easier to maintain and might bloom at the same time as a special occasion such as a birthday, for example. What’s more you will have a greater range of colours to choose from. That means you can choose flowers that match a loved one’s favourite colours or colours that have a special significance to them, for example a favourite team.

You may decide a planted tribute is no longer viable and opt for something like a memorial bench.