Whether you’ve been caring for a sapling since day one, or only recently became acquainted with an established tree, trees have a way of leaving a mark that makes us cherish them while they’re alive and deeply miss them once they’re gone.
It’s a sad one, but it’s a fact of life that trees don’t live forever. Still, when it’s time to part ways with a beloved plant, you don’t have to say goodbye for good. Dead trees should certainly be removed from your yard for safety, but their legacy can live on.
Below, read up on a variety of ways you can remember your beloved tree after it’s gone.
Ways You Can Memorialize A Tree
From leaves to twigs, to the trunk and branches, each part of a tree can serve a unique purpose even after it is no longer living.
Ideas To Remember Your Beloved Tree
Commemorate your prized tree by carving a place for it in your home, or placing it in a suitable spot in your yard to complement fellow plants.
Here are six tree remembrance ideas:
Plant another tree in tribute. Maybe you loved your old tree because of its eye-catching fall color or its bursting bloom of flowers. Whatever the case, bring that look back to life by planting a new tree. If you do go this route, avoid planting a tree in the same spot one was removed from or replanting the same species if growing conditions aren’t optimal.- Make the tree a comfortable cover for your other plants. Grind your old tree parts down to woodchips to make natural mulch. Watching your plants bloom while they’re covered in a blanket of mulch made by your old tree is a great way to put the beloved tree to good use.
- Bring the outdoors indoors. What better way to remember a tree than making it a unique addition to your home? There are lots of options here, like using tree twigs to jazz up a light fixture, turning an old branch into a rustic handrail, smoothing out a stump to make a side table or even using pieces of the tree to make a handy hanger.
- Convert the trunk into stepping stones. Cut the trunk or a large branch into circular stepping stones, and reminisce about your tree each time you take a stride. (Bonus tip here: dust the steps with sand so they’re not slippery.)
Carve a message into the wood. A family name, or the name of your beloved tree, can be carved into a plank of old tree wood and showcased outside your home.- Find comfort in the little things. Smaller tree branches can be transformed into accents for your home, like coasters.
Does The Tree Really Need To Go, Or Can I Keep It?
You can definitely keep pieces of your tree to turn into something special. But letting the whole tree stick around? That’s a risk you shouldn’t take.
Dead trees are incredibly weak. They could tip over or lose limbs during a storm, putting you in danger. Plus, if their cause of death had anything to do with insects or disease, those infections can spread to other plants if you keep the tree standing.
But it’s not always easy to tell if a tree is dead or alive. If you’re not quite sure about your tree’s status, a certified arborist can help.
Need a Professional Opinion? Schedule a Consultation.
