By Joe Zeleznik, Forester

NDSU Extension

I’m writing this on Memorial Day, 2025. This holiday is intended to honor and mourn those who died in military service to our country. My Uncle Jim was one of those people, killed in the Korean War. Dad rarely talked about losing his older brother, but I know it affected him for the rest of his life.

Trees are often planted in memory of loved ones who have died, whether in service to the country or just in remembrance. Trees are long-lived. They’re tough, yet flexible. Sometimes, those are the qualities we remember in our loved ones.

In recent years, funeral homes have begun offering the option of planting a memorial tree for the deceased. I’ve never chosen that option, but I always wonder – what tree gets planted and where?

Planting memorial trees is a lovely gesture, but I always caution people – there are many things that can attack and kill trees, and if that happens, will that affect your memories of the person you’re memorializing? Be cautious.

And what did I do when my own dad died? Of course, I planted a tree. The tree’s doing okay, but the woodpeckers have been tough on it. And I laugh at my own inconsistency.

After World War I, elms were planted in many locations in North Dakota, memorializing those young men who were killed during the conflict. Many of those trees were planted at our universities – including NDSU and Minot State University – and at the State Capitol. Unfortunately, records weren’t kept regarding what trees were planted and where. We can only make an educated guess as to which trees might still be around. Usually, American elms were planted.

The tradition of memorial trees goes back much further. There’s a story that President Andrew Jackson planted two magnolia trees at the White House in memory of his late wife, Rachel, who died a few months before he took office. Historical evidence suggests the trees were planted by a later president. Regardless, it’s still a great story.

I was once asked what type of tree would do best in a cemetery in North Dakota. I had never thought of that before!

I spun the question around – What type of tree would survive having a part of its root system cut away every few years, when a new burial takes place? That question is easy to answer – no tree would do well in that situation.

Trees are great for those cemetery sections that are full and won’t have any additional burials. They shouldn’t provide a hindrance for mowers, but instead can be planted to enhance the view and provide shade for mourners who come to grieve.

Surprisingly, many cemeteries around the country are actually accredited arboretums. An example is Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 733-acre location is the third-largest cemetery in the United States and contains nearly two dozen Champion Trees from either the National Register or the state Register of Champion Trees.

When I was an undergraduate student, I remember participating in a Memorial Day service at Spring Grove. The trees were impressive. The veterans I met impressed me even more. It was a day of remembrance for them, for the friends they lost, and a day of hope for a peaceful future.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – May 28, 2025

Source: Joe Zeleznik, 701-231-8143, joseph.zeleznik@ndsu.edu

Editor: Kelli Anderson,701-231-6136, kelli.c.anderson@ndsu.edu