Planting cremation ashes is a good way to memorialize a loved one. One of the concerns with cremation is not having a permanent place to memorialize, such as a place of burial.

Planting cremation ashes can be done directly in the earth or in a container. It is a therapeutic way to work through the grief.  When using cremation ashes to create a remembrance planting, you are continuing the circle of life.

Cremation Ashes Harm the Environment

On their own, cremation ashes are harmful when placed in or around plants.  For years people have placed cremation ashes around plants as an act of returning their loved one to nature. When cremation ashes are buried directly into the ground, they do not decompose which hurts the surrounding plant life.

For cremation ashes to become beneficial to plant life, the very high pH level has to be lowered and the toxic levels of sodium must be diluted. If these two concerns are not properly addressed, the plant will become stressed or collapse. A very limited variety of plants are tolerant of the toxic level of sodium found in cremation ashes.

Memorializing Using Cremation Ashes

There are many ways to memorialize using cremation ashes and many of us yearn to have something we can see and touch to remind us of the one who is no longer here. While nothing could ever replace your loved one, choosing a planting for your home or garden is a powerful way to remember that special bond.

A tree, a landscape, a garden or houseplant can be a living memorial – a way to express love that has not ended with death.  Whether it’s your loved one’s favorite spot, or part of the garden, this will be the place the ashes become one with a new green life. When nourished by cremation ashes, something extraordinary happens to the plant. It becomes a living symbol of a special life.