A tree is a powerful and healing symbolism in death. It represents physical and spiritual nourishment, transformation and liberation.
If your loved one was always in nature or was environmentally conscious, a biodegradable tree urn might be the perfect send off.
In this biodegradable urn review, we’ll talk about how these tree urns work and what you need to do.
I’ll also list my favorite tree urns on the market.
The Best Tree Urns
There are a number of quality products on the market which we’ll discuss.
Bios Urn Memorial Funeral Cremation Urn
The Bios Urn is the most popular tree urn kit on the market.
Inspired by an early childhood death experience, brothers Gerard and Roger Moliné, designed a product to turn death into life.
It’s made from 100% biodegradable materials, with the choice of quite a few tree types.
Their goal is to change the way people understand life. Their aim is to reinstate man into natures life cycle.
Bios Urn Package: What do you receive?
Your package will come with the urn, coco peat, vermiculite, and planting instruction. They also send you a seedling, not a seed. That’s all you need.
The instructions will explain how to put it together and the best way to plant. It’s an extremely easy process.
Then you will watch it grow, knowing your loved-one is part of nature.
Geos Biodegradable Tree Urn
The Geos tree urn offers an endearing and symbolic means to unite a departed person’s ashes with mother earth.
The earthy golden and brown hues with lovely autumn-like leaf detailing makes this urn the ideal burial urn to pay your last respects to a departed soul.
The lid is removable, providing a space where you can plant your chosen tree sapling.
Each year when you watch the tree flourish and grow, it will remind you of that special person who will always remain in your heart.
The eco-friendly urn is crafted with 100% biodegradable materials which means it will naturally break down over time and comes in assorted sizes.
Show your love and devotion for someone you have lost in an extraordinary way with this unique handmade item.
Olea Biodegradable Tree Urn
The Olea urn is distinctive with its circular shape and vibrant green color that is derived from kiwi fruit.
This nature inspired item offers a symbolic and memorable way to honor the life of someone close with nature.
It is made with natural ingredients that will biodegrade over time, not causing any harm to mother nature. You can plant your favorite tree inside this urn to act as a reminder of the special memories you shared.
Each urn is crafted by hand which means no two items are the same.
If you are looking for an environmentally friendly burial urn that is extraordinary, then this urn ticks all the boxes.
The Living Urn Bio Urn Including a Premium Young Tree of Choice. Grow a Living Tree Memorial from Cremation Ashes
The Living Urn is the first cremation urn planting system. It’s made from recycled materials and is 100% biodegradable.
It was developed by lifelong friends. After the death of one of their friends, they were motivated to find a special way to memorialize him and be kind to the earth at the same time.
It’s a complex design, but super simple for you to plant.
Trees Available
A wide variety of tree types are available from which to choose. You will receive them as a seedling (baby tree) instead of a seed.
If trees aren’t your preference, you can go to your local nursery and purchase plant or flower instead.
Many people plant it where they can see it every time they look out the window.
How it Works
You have a choice of an evergreen tree including, pine, spruce, or cypress, which will be sent to you immediately.
Otherwise, you have the option of over 20 types of seasonal trees.
You will determine your planting zone and it’s delivered during the optimal growing season in your area, to ensure healthy growth and survival.
How to Plant
Planting Urn
Your Living Urn arrives in a lovely bamboo shell, which many people use as a keepsake later. Inside is a biodegradable urn made from recycled materials.
You will fill the urn with either the entire cremated remains or a portion if desired, followed by the seedling.
RootProtect, which is a neutralizing agent, is poured on top of the cremains, followed by the soil mix, wood chips, and instructions. All are contained in the package.
Then you are ready to plant in the place of your choice. A very easy process.
What Do People like?
- Environmentally friendly
- 100% biodegradable
- Low cost
- Giving back to the earth
- Ease of use
- Much better than traditional methods
How to Purchase the Living Urn
If you wish to purchase or find out more about the The Living Urn, find out on their online store.
Turning Pet Ashes into Trees
We could never forget our precious pets. They are part of our family and we want the best for them. That includes a memorial after they die.
Both Bios Urn and Living Urn have cremation urn trees for them as well.
Bios Pet Loss Urn
The Bios Urn is made for both humans and pets. You could plant a smaller plant or tree to honor your pet in the same area as the family.
Or perhaps a flowering bush to climb a family member’s tree would be a touching option.
As you stroll around your yard or sit on the patio, you can admire your furry mate’s tree or plant.
What People Like About It
- 100% biodegradable
- Living memorial of your beloved pet
- Good for the earth and air
- Ease of use
- Low cost
How to Purchase the Bios Pet Urn
If you wish to purchase or find out more about the The Living Urn, find out on their online store.
The Living Urn for Pets
The Living Urn is a perfect way to keep your pet alive. Watch a beautiful tree or plant grow with the life of your pet running through its veins.
This version for pets does not include the tree seedling. All you have to do is visit your local nursery and choose the type of tree or plant that most represents your precious pet.
What you receive
You will receive the system, which includes the biodegradable urn with premium plant mix, and wood chips.
Also included is a lovely bamboo urn cover that becomes a treasured keepsake after you plant the urn.
Bamboo Urn Cover
Following the simple instructions, you will plant the ashes along with your chosen type of tree, shrub, or flower in the ground or a pot.
After it begins to grow, you’ll think of happy memories with your furry loved one, each time you look at it.
What People Like
- A living memorial for their pet
- 100% biodegradable
- Good for the earth and air
- Simple to use
- Very low price
How to Purchase the Living Urn for Pets
If you wish to purchase or find out more about the The Living Urn, find out on their online store.
Cremation Tree Pods
Can you imagine becoming a beautiful tree after you die? It may be hard to visualize, but that’s exactly what will happen with a cremation tree pod.
What are Cremation Tree Pods?
Tree urns are essentially a way to turn death into life. It’s a combination of burial and cremation, which turns the ashes into something that is amazingly good for the earth.
A cremation tree pod provides the soil with necessary nutrients and helps to clean the air.
It’s a living creation and a memorial to the departed, which lives on for many years.
How Do They Work?
You will receive the necessary items with instructions. After the container is planted, the tree begins to sprout and the container dissolves.
They are designed to hold all or most of the ashes of one person. However, you can place only a portion of the ashes.
Some people purchase more than one tree pod to give to other family members and divide the ashes among them. That gives them a memorial as well.
Do you know of any forest areas that allow a person to plant a tree, I guess I’m just not sure my family can plant a tree in their own back yards so where can one plant a tree that is known to be ok with any city or state ordinances. I live in Oregon…the land of many trees & forest fires wouldn’t it be great to plant loved ones into areas that need trees.
Hi Pam…I’m located in Virginia. Forest Rest Natural Cemetery. I might suggest looking at natural burial areas in and around your location. I stumbled upon your question when doing some research. We offer the living urn for our cemeteries as well as Forest Rest. Best of luck to you!! Blair
I purchased the Bio Urn for my mom’s cremains.
It was the single biggest waste of money in my 50-year life.
First, the customer service was polite but unhelpful. I ordered the Bios Urn and was immediately told I’d have a wait or several months (I think it was 4-6, but I’m not sure now—it’s been almost 2 years). When it was finally scheduled to be sent, the Urn never left Spain, according to tracking info; in fact, I STILL get emails from USPS every month or two telling me they’re still looking for it, since I reported the missing item in both the US and Spain. After some back and forth with the company, they finally agreed to send another one at no charge. It TOO was lost in the mail! I’d had enough, so I asked for a refund. At first and for some time, they refused. Get this: they offered to give me credit for another Urn, so I’d basically have to wait for another family member to die before I could complete my purchase with them!!! I had to beg repeatedly to get it, and even then they made me wait for some fiscal year change so it wouldn’t mess up their finances. Amazingly, and unfortunately to my mind, the 2nd Urn arrived the day before the company said they’d process my refund. So I called and, with resignations said I’d keep the Urn and they could cancel the refund.
The Urn itself is a piece of crap. It is a cheap plastic barrel—a cheap UGLY plastic barrel. And a tube that appears to be cardboard. If anything about the Urn was actually expensive for the company to produce, maybe it’s the electronic doodad on top, that supposedly measures moisture in the soil and air, but I’m not even sure it was actually doing that.
The connection between the Urn and the app is poor. The app is almost useless. If you want to plant anything but the 6 plants they sell, they just tell you that it’ll work for your plant with no variations, so my guess is that the machine is not all that customized by plant type.
After about 8 months, the app stopped connecting to the Urn, so it was always wrong about, for instance, how much water was in the reservoir (not really a reservoir—just that the walls of the cheap plastic barrel are hollow). Finally, the Urn stopped charging, and when I called the company for service, they wanted me to disassemble the Urn and mail then some set of internal parts so they could examine them.
Well, after my initial experience with the mail between Bio Urn and me, and with their inflexible customer service, I threw in the towel. I swallowed the cost and now I just use the Urn as a SUPER expensive cheap plastic barrel. I water the plant my own self, and it looks quite a bit better than when the machine was watering it.
Maybe my experience was unusual. But if this is how the product and company perform typically, PLEASE shop elsewhere.