There are so many beautiful ways to remember someone important, and planting a memorial tree is one of the most meaningful you can choose. Watching something grow taller every year, long after the person themselves is gone, gives you a place to visit and remains a living and lasting reminder.
If you’ve been thinking about planting a tree in memory of someone you love, there’s a lot to work out first, like where you’re allowed to plant it and which tree might suit them best. So we’ve created this guide to explain the options, whether that’s planting one in your own garden or dedicating a woodland in their name, along with a few ways to keep a piece of that memory with you for when you can’t be there in person.
A Quick Answer: How to Plant a Memorial Tree
- Plant it in your own garden or a pot, so it stays with you and can move if you ever do
- Plant it on private land, like a park, school or special building, as long as you have the landowner’s permission first
- Donate to an organisation such as the Woodland Trust or National Forest, who will plant a tree on your behalf in a dedicated area
- Scatter ashes around the base if you’d like to, though it’s worth checking the soil chemistry and any restrictions first
- Keep a small amount of soil or ashes from the spot in a piece of self-fill jewellery, so you always have something close even when you can’t visit
Where Can You Plant a Memorial Tree?
There’s more than one way to go about planting a memorial tree, so it helps to think about how much space you have and how often you’d like to visit before choosing. Here are some of the most popular ways to plant a memorial tree to help you decide.
Planting in Your Own Garden
Your own garden is often the easiest option, since you get to choose the exact spot and can visit it whenever you like. It’s worth thinking about the soil and sunlight the spot gets, along with how much space the tree will need once it’s fully grown, so ask for advice on which type would suit it best before you plant anything.
If you’d rather keep your options open, a smaller tree planted in a large pot is another option, since it means the tree can come with you if you ever move house. For anyone remembering a pet, planting somewhere in the garden they used to love, like a favourite sunny spot, can make the tree feel even more personal.
Planting on Private Land
If you have somewhere in mind that meant a lot to your loved one, like a local park, a public space or even a school you both have ties to, you’ll need permission from the landowner before you plant anything there.
You’ll also need to mention if you’d like to scatter ashes around the tree too, since some landowners have restrictions in place around this. Keep in mind that private land can be sold or change hands over the years, so there’s always a small risk of losing access to your tree further down the line if you go down this route.
Donating to an Organisation to Plant on Your Behalf
There are plenty of UK organisations that will plant a tree for you as part of a wider woodland or forest, so you don’t need any land of your own to take part. It means supporting an area that’s already being grown and looked after long term, giving your loved one’s memory a place within something much bigger than a single tree. We’ll go through a few of the most well-known options a little further down.
What Type of Memorial Tree Should You Plant?
Choosing a tree that reflects the person you’re remembering can make the whole process feel even more personal. Here’s a closer look at some of the most popular choices for memorial trees in the UK, along with what to expect as they grow.
- Oak: Slow-growing but famously long-lived, an oak can take decades to reach its full height of around 20 to 40 metres, so it suits a large garden or open ground rather than a small plot. It’s easy to recognise by its deeply lobed leaves and autumn acorns, and it’s traditionally linked to strength and wisdom.
- Silver Birch: A faster-growing choice, silver birch reaches around 15 to 20 metres and typically grows about 40cm a year, so it’s a good option if you’d like to see real progress within your lifetime. Its pale, peeling bark and slim leaves make it easy to spot in any garden, and it’s often chosen to represent new beginnings and hope.
- Cherry Tree: Ornamental cherry trees usually reach around 8 to 12 metres at a steady pace, making them a manageable size for a lot of gardens. They’re best known for their pink or white blossom each spring, and they’re a popular choice for representing happiness and good fortune.
- Rowan: Reaching around 8 to 15 metres at a similar pace to birch, rowan is a slim tree that suits smaller gardens well. It’s known for its clusters of white flowers in spring and bright red berries in autumn, and in Celtic folklore it’s called the Tree of Life, symbolising protection and courage.
- Hazel: One of the easiest trees to keep small, hazel usually grows to around 10 metres and can be kept lower still with occasional pruning which makes it a good fit for compact gardens. It produces catkins in late winter and hazelnuts by autumn and is traditionally associated with wisdom and knowledge.
- Fig Tree: Fig trees need a sheltered, sunny spot to do well in the UK, and left unpruned they can grow several metres tall, though many people keep them smaller by training them against a wall or fence. Their large, lobed leaves make them easy to spot and the tree is widely linked to wisdom and abundance.
Can You Scatter Ashes Around a Memorial Tree?
Yes, absolutely. Scattering ashes around a memorial tree is something a lot of people choose to do since it feels like a natural way to return your loved one to the earth alongside something that will keep growing in honour of them.
Ashes are naturally quite alkaline though, so scattering a large amount directly around the roots can throw off the soil’s balance and make it harder for the tree to take up nutrients properly. That’s why it’s often recommended to mix the ashes with compost or extra soil before scattering to help even that out. You can always ask a garden centre or arborist for advice too if you’re planting a variety that’s particular about its soil.
Some people choose to bury a small amount of ashes with the seed or sapling itself when they first plant the tree, so the tree quite literally grows from that starting point and becomes something that carries a part of them as it grows.
If you’re planting on private land or through an organisation rather than your own garden, always check first, since a lot of landowners and tree-planting charities have their own rules around scattering ashes to protect the soil and surrounding wildlife.
Planting a Memorial Tree Through a UK Organisation
If you’d rather not plant a tree yourself, there are a number of UK organisations that can do it on your behalf as part of a wider woodland. This means you can still dedicate a tree to someone without needing land of your own.
The Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust plants dedicated trees in woods across the UK, with a suggested donation of £20 for a single tree or from £250 for a quarter acre of woodland. You can also add a bench or marker post with a personalised plaque, though this starts at a higher cost of £1,500 to £3,500 depending on what you choose. Every dedication comes with a personalised certificate and a map of the wood sent by post or email.
The Earth Trust
The Earth Trust plants memorial trees in Little Wittenham Wood, a protected woodland between Oxford and Abingdon known for its wildlife. A donation of £350 covers a private planting ceremony, so you and a small group of family or friends can plant the tree together on a date that works for you, with the option to bury ashes underneath it as well. Once it’s in the ground, their team of rangers looks after it for the long term, so you don’t need to worry about its upkeep yourself.
The National Forest
The National Forest offers a straightforward way to dedicate a tree for £15, choosing the species yourself and receiving a personalised digital certificate once your order is complete. Trees are planted each year between January and April, though individual trees aren’t marked, so you won’t be able to visit a specific spot, only the wider area they’ve been planted in. If you’d rather plant the tree yourself, they also run planting events you can join from £30.
Prices and details for these organisations are correct as of August 2026 and may change, so it’s worth checking each website directly before donating.
Ways to Keep a Part of the Tree Close to You
A tree doesn’t always sit somewhere you can get to easily, especially if you’ve dedicated one through an organisation or planted it somewhere else rather than your own garden. So, having something you can carry with you, that feels connected to the tree and your loved one, can be a comforting idea. It means you don’t have to rely on getting back to that spot every time you want to feel close to your loved one. Here are some ways you can do that:
Self-Fill Ashes or Soil Jewellery
If you’d like something you can fill yourself, self-fill jewellery lets you keep a small pinch of soil from beneath the tree, or a little of the ashes if that’s what you scattered there, sealed safely inside a locket or pendant you can wear every day.
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Handwriting Silver Urn Necklace
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Silver Urn Ashes Bangle
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Floral Ashes Necklace
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Handwriting Ashes Keyring
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Self-Filled Ashes Charm
£39.00
Ashes Into Resin Jewellery
For a more permanent option, a small amount of ashes can be set professionally into resin jewellery, so you always have a piece of them with you even on the days you can’t get to the tree itself.
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Honour Ashes Ring
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Robin Memorial Ashes Necklace
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Silver Ashes Heart Charm
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Crystal Teardrop Ashes Ring
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Classic Ashes Bracelet
£170.00
Engraved Jewellery
Engraving the planting date, the tree’s location or a short message in your loved one’s own handwriting lets you create a piece of memorial jewellery that helps tell the story behind the tree.
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Gold Disc Photo Charm
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Duo Angel Wing Fingerprint Bracelet
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Duo Heart Handwriting Necklace
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Gold Star Paw Print Ashes Necklace
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A Pressed Leaf or Keepsake From the Tree
Pressing a leaf from the tree and keeping it somewhere safe, like a frame or the pages of a book, is another way to hold onto something that’s grown from that spot, especially in the early years before the tree is fully established.
A Photo From Planting Day
Keeping a photo from the day you planted the tree is another nice touch, whether it’s an image you frame or preserve somewhere permanently like in photo jewellery.
Conclusion
There’s a lot to think about when planting a memorial tree, from choosing the right spot to picking a tree that means something to you, and it helps to check permissions and any restrictions early on so the tree gets to stay exactly where you’ve planted it for years to come. Beyond the practical details though, what matters most is choosing something that feels right for you and the person you’re honouring.
And for the days you can’t get to the tree itself, a piece of memorial jewellery means you can carry a little of that memory with you wherever you are.
FAQs
Choosing a tree often comes down to what feels right for the person you’re remembering, like a species they loved or one whose meaning suits them, such as oak for strength or rowan for protection. It’s just as valid to pick a tree because you love how it looks, rather than for its symbolism. You’ll also need to take space and soil into consideration too, so it’s worth checking what will actually suit your garden or the space you’re planting before deciding.
Yes, scattering ashes under a memorial tree is something a lot of people choose to do, since it feels like a natural way of returning a loved one to the earth. Ashes are naturally alkaline though, so it’s best to mix them with compost or extra soil first to avoid affecting the tree’s roots. If you’re planting on private land or through an organisation, always check their policy on scattering ashes beforehand.
You only need permission if you’re planting somewhere that isn’t your own, like a local park or land owned by someone else. Planting in your own garden doesn’t require anyone’s permission, though it’s still worth thinking about how big the tree will grow before choosing a spot. Organisations like the Woodland Trust handle their own land, so no permission is needed if you donate through them instead.
Yes, plenty of trees do well in large pots, especially slower-growing or smaller varieties, and it’s a good option if you’d like the freedom to move house without leaving the tree behind. Choose a pot with good drainage and enough room for the roots to grow, and be prepared to repot every few years as the tree gets bigger. Just bear in mind a potted tree won’t grow as large as one planted in open ground.
Dedicating a tree means a specific tree, or sometimes an area of woodland, is planted and marked in someone’s memory, often through an organisation that plants and looks after it on your behalf. It usually comes with a certificate and sometimes a plaque or marker, so there’s something to mark the dedication even if the tree itself isn’t easy to visit often. It’s a way of creating a lasting tribute without needing land of your own.
