Planting a Memorial Tree for Your Pet in South Africa

Choose for neglect, not for looks

A memorial plant that dies in its first summer becomes a small ongoing grief. In most of South Africa, indigenous and water-wise species survive best: wild olive, karee, spekboom, wild peach, tree fuchsia and indigenous aloes. Match it to your rainfall and your realistic level of attention, not to how it looks in the nursery.

Planting with ashes

Ashes are alkaline and high in salts, and a concentrated pile will damage roots. If you want to plant with them, mix them thoroughly through a large volume of soil, or spread them in a wide ring at the drip line rather than in the planting hole. Some South African garden centres sell biodegradable urns designed for exactly this.

If you are renting or in a complex

Plant into a large pot rather than into ground you do not own. South Africans move often, and a memorial tree left behind in a sold garden is one of the more commonly reported regrets. A potted tree travels with you.

Marking it properly

A small stone, an engraved tag, or a plaque at the base. A memorial you can no longer locate in three years is not really a memorial. It takes ten minutes and it lasts.