Memorial Trees
A private place in the forest—returning you to nature's cycle.
Existing Customers
Manage Your Memorial
What is a Memorial Tree?
A place love grows
A Memorial Tree isn’t just a tree—it’s your place to belong. Where loved ones are remembered together and life continues, protected forever.
After cremation, ashes return to your tree and become part of the forest.
Natural, meaningful, and aligned with how you want to be remembered.
Share your tree with partners, children, parents, and pets over time.
Visit whenever you need to remember, gather, or be near those you love.
Who chooses Memorial Trees?
People like you choose Memorial Trees
Those happiest outside in nature, in a forest, on a trail, near water.
No formal ceremony. Just something meaningful and lasting.
Not out of obligation, but whenever they feel like they need connection.
Conservation matters; they want their resting place to matter to the earth too.
Side by side at the same tree. One place that holds both of them.
One tree, shared by family and pets for generations.
Why Memorial Trees?
Trees not tombstones
After cremation, families need a place to remember. With Better Place, ashes find a permanent home in a protected Memorial Forest—not on a mantle, not scattered without a place to return.
A Memorial Tree is a living place that changes with the seasons, welcomes every generation, and grows. Not a stone marker. A place outdoors that feels like home.
Can Memorial Trees honor pets?
Losing a beloved pet is one of the hardest life experiences. Memorial Trees are designed to honor them with the same peaceful, permanent place in nature you’d choose for family.
The ashes of dogs, cats, and other cherished companions can share a tree with people you love, or rest at a tree of their own.
Everything you need to create a living memorial
A private tree in a protected forest—yours, in perpetuity.
Add loved ones’ and pets’ ashes to your tree any time.
Permits, paperwork, all of it—handled before the day.
The forest is yours, any time. Bring family, friends and pets.
A Stewardship Trust protects the forest ecosystem forever.
Your Guide shapes the ceremony around your wishes.
Bronze marker at the tree: name, dates, your words.
More than a memorial. A conservation act.
Each of our nine Memorial Forests is cared for through long-term stewardship—actively managed and ecologically maintained.
When ashes return to the earth, they become part of a living forest. Your memorial doesn’t just rest in nature. It helps safeguard it.
Forest Stewardship
Long-term care of each forest: ecological monitoring, trail maintenance, and ongoing access for all families.
Minimal Footprint
No concrete vaults, no embalming chemicals, minimal development. Our process honors the earth.
Wildlife Corridors
Our forests connect to broader ecological networks, creating safe passage for at-risk wildlife species.
What families say
"Cemeteries are about death; our Memorial Tree is about life. Not an ending, but a new beginning."
Read our Google Reviews
Find your perfect Memorial Tree
Our protected forests span America—from the redwoods of the Mendocino Coast to the ridgetops of the Berkshires. Some of the most beautiful, biodiverse places in the country.
What tree is best for a Memorial Tree?
Each of our nine forests features native tree species—from towering redwoods in Santa Cruz to striking red maples in St. Croix Valley.
Every tree is healthy, mature, and ready to be yours. A Guide can help you explore trees online or set up an in-forest visit.
A Memorial Tree for every family
What happens when you talk to a Guide
A Guide helps you understand your options, answers your questions, and walks you through next steps—no pressure.
How does it work? What’s included? Is this right for me?
Guides can show you trees virtually or plan a forest visit.
Every detail is shaped around your family’s values.
We’ll help you understand what’s right for you.
You’re under no obligation. This is just a conversation.
Memorial Trees: a natural alternative
Memorial Trees honor life differently than traditional, natural, or green burial—with practical advantages. They create what traditional memorials can’t: a living place that changes and grows with the seasons.
| Memorial Trees | Traditional Cemeteries | Holding Ashes | Scattering Ashes | Green Burial or Natural Burial | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Private tree in protected forest | Cemetery plot | Home storage | Dispersed in nature (if permitted) | Natural burial ground |
| Honors | Multiple people & pets at one tree | Individual plot | No | No individual designation | Individual plot |
| Legal Status | All permissions included | Permitted with purchase | Not applicable | Often illegal without permits | Permitted at certified sites |
| Setting | Living, growing memorial | Maintained grounds | Kept at home | Limited legal sites | Natural landscape |
| Marker | Customizable bronze marker | Tombstone | None | No individual designation | None |
| Visits | Perpetual access rights | Fixed cemetery hours | Not applicable | Nothing to return to | Site-dependent |
| Maintenance | Self-sustaining ecosystem | Required perpetual upkeep | None | None | Site-dependent stewardship |
| Feeling | Alive, growing, changing | Static, formal | Waiting, temporary | Released but uncertain | Returned but unmarked |
How do Memorial Trees differ from tree pod burial?
Memorial Trees use your cremated remains, which are mixed with enriched soil at the base of an existing, mature tree—allowing you to nourish and become part of that living tree as it continues to grow.
In tree pod burial, your body is interred in biodegradable material to decompose naturally, and a young sapling is planted above the site.
Memorial Trees
Your memorial is part of a healthy, thriving tree already decades old
Memorial Forest locations coast to coast
Proven, healthy trees with strong root systems and established growth
Your tree is already absorbing CO2 and supporting ecosystems today
Tree Pod Burial
Newly planted young trees that require years of care to survive
Few burial sites currently offer this option
Saplings can die from disease, weather, pests, or lack of maintenance
Takes years before a young tree provides meaningful environmental benefits
Talk to a Guide, 24/7
When you’re ready, we’re here.
Explore at your own pace
See the two ways families honor a life.
Questions?
We're here to help.
What is a Memorial Tree?
A Memorial Tree is a private tree in a protected forest where ashes are returned to the earth. It’s a natural, lasting alternative to burial.
How do families choose a memorial tree?
You can explore trees and locations on a virtual tour with a Guide, who will help you find the right fit.
Can more than one person be included?
Yes. Memorial Trees can be shared with family, friends, and pets over time.
Can pets be included?
The ashes of dogs, cats, horses, and other cherished companions can be included at your Memorial Tree and honored with a Pet Tribute Ceremony and Memorial Marker.
Are Memorial Trees available in every Better Place forest?
Yes. All of our nine protected forest locations have Memorial Trees available.
How much does a Memorial Tree burial typically cost compared to traditional burial methods?
Memorial Tree burial offers a meaningful and affordable alternative, starting at $6,200. In comparison, traditional burials typically range from $9,000 to $15,000, with costs varying based on casket selection, vault requirements, and viewing preferences.
What’s the difference between a Memorial Tree and a Spreading Grove?
A Memorial Tree is a private, dedicated tree within a protected forest that can be shared with family, friends, and pets over time. Memorial Trees also come with the option to add a personalized, guide-led Nature Memorial Ceremony and customizable bronze Memorial Marker, which can be placed at your tree.
A Spreading Grove allows you to spread ashes of just one person in a shared grove within a protected memorial forest. Unlike a Memorial Tree you cannot pick where the ashes will be placed. Spreading Groves also include a Nature Memorial Ceremony and a small, simple Memorial Marker.
Can families visit the tree?
Absolutely. Your Memorial Tree is a place to gather. Family, friends, and pets are welcome to visit and remember your loved one, walk peaceful trails, or simply spend time in nature.
What if I already have ashes—can they be placed at a Memorial Tree?
Yes. You can explore trees and locations on a virtual tour with a Guide, who will help you find the right fit. You also have the option of adding a Nature Memorial ceremony so friends and family can gather to return ashes to the tree and a Memorial Marker in their honor.
