3 New Ways to Turn Cremains into Trees
As people become more environmentally aware, cremation and eco-friendly burial options are continuing to multiply across the US and the rest of the world. Artists and environmentalists are starting to embrace the cycle of nature, and are developing products that allow families to turn the cremains of their loved ones into trees.
Take a look at the following new ways to convert your loved one’s ashes into a tree that your family members and closest friends can enjoy and visit for years to come.
1. Poetree
Designed by a French woman named Margaux Ruyant, the Poetree is an urn made out of a ceramic ring that contains your loved one’s name, the years during which he or she was alive, and any other personal details you wish to include. Upon receiving the urn that contains your loved one’s ashes, you can remove the cork at the top, and insert a small boxwood tree sapling into the container. Throughout the mourning period, you can store the Poetree urn inside your home until the sapling grows bigger.
When the boxwood tree grows large enough to plant outdoors, you can simply plant the urn directly into the ground without removing your loved one’s ashes or the sapling from the urn. The ceramic ring with your loved one’s details will forever remain around the tree, while the biodegradable urn itself breaks down into the ground. The result is a beautiful tree you and your family can visit for the rest of your lives.
2. Arum
Carla Cava of Barcelona recently designed the Arum, which is a biodegradable ring made from your loved one’s ashes that can be placed around the trunk of a tree. While the ashes don’t exactly grow into a tree, the ring is left on the tree to disintegrate naturally, and leaves behind a permanent mark on the tree which can then be personalized by friends and family members. The Arum is meant to symbolize the duration of the mourning period, and has yet to be made commercially available.
3. Spíritree
The Spíritree is a biodegradable urn designed by an architect named José Fernando Vázquez Pérez of Puerto Rico. This urn and tree planter combo is made from a ceramic shell that helps neutralize the alkalinity of cremains. The top part of the shell features small holes that capture small amounts of rainwater. The added moisture from the rainwater helps the shell decompose naturally, and allows your loved one’s cremains to combine with the soil. The sapling inside the planter will thrive under this natural process, and eventually grows and shatters the ceramic top. As a result, a healthy, strong tree grows where your loved one’s ashes once resided.
Heartland Cremation can help provide you with the guidance and planning you need for arranging the cremation of your loved one. Family-owned and operated, Heartland Cremation serves the Kansas City area, including the communities of Overland Park, Leawood, Prairie Village, Lenexa, and Olathe. Please contact us to discuss your cremation needs today.