Tree Pod Burials: An Innovative Concept, Not A Reality

The Future of Burial

Though there is a new shift in thinking and talking about death, tree pod burials still have an upward battle. The same can be said for natural burials in general, as public perception tends to skew more towards the status quo.

Regulations, standards, and laws differ across states and countries, all reflecting different attitudes and beliefs about death and how we humans should deal with it. Therefore, Tree Pod burials are currently not an option in the US.

It's a nice day. Blue sky above the leaves, a few puffy white clouds, sunlight trickling down in soft rays between gaps in the branches. A brush of breeze, birds calling, squirrels and rabbits rustle in the underbrush. You traverse at a comfortable pace, maybe accompanied by someone you care about, someone who cares about you. You're chatting, mostly about things unimportant, but very meaningful. Or perhaps you're quiet, subsumed in the hushed hubbub of a forest.

"Is this it?" Your companion asks. You've stopped at a large, fully-grown tree, solid, sturdy, and comfortable-looking. You consult your phone, a note from your pocket, or a pamphlet map in your hand, reading the series of GPS coordinates pointing to the circled location.

"I think so," you say. Your vision sweeps across the base of the tree's trunk, landing on a familiar rock etched with a familiar name and a heart etched by a very familiar hand.

"Yeah. This is it."

Placing your hand against the bark, you imagine the internal, too-slow-to-see thriving of the living wood.

"Hi, Mom," you say. Or, "Hi, Dad," or "Grandma and Grandpa."

You and your companion lay out and enjoy a little picnic, spend some time forest-bathing, then pack up to leave, saying a warm goodbye to your late loved one interred beneath the tree. Nearby, other individuals and families do the same. Forest cemeteries such as this are one of the dreams of the green burial movement.

When examining some of the more popular and contemporary practices in the funeral industry — embalming fluids, specialty coffins and caskets, strong burial vaults — what is considered a normal burial in today's terms comes with a whole host of negative consequences for the surrounding environment. Embalming fluids are toxic to soil, plants, and beneficial microbes as they break down in the body and leak out into the ground. Coffins are often made with wood from endangered or exotic trees and chemically treated to resist biodegrading further. Burial vaults serve as further barriers to corpses touching dirt, often made of concrete or strengthened steel, each with its own sizable manufacturing carbon footprint.

Each element along the way is designed to disrupt or delay the natural process of remains being broken down by decomposer organisms. This means less repurposed nutrients feeding and strengthening an ecosystem. The natural burial movement and green burial practices seek to consciously combat these harmful effects and to change the industry into one that focuses on a legacy of ecological conservation. Tree pod burials are one way this can be achieved.

Understanding Tree Pod Burials

What are Tree Pod Burials?

Tree pods are egg-shaped, biodegradable caskets made of organic materials like cardboard, bamboo, and cotton. In some cases wrapped in nothing but a shroud (also made of natural fibers), the body to be buried receives no preparation whatsoever.

The body is placed in a fetal position inside the pod, which could be seen as symbolic of the metaphorical and literal rebirth of a person's remains after a natural burial. More natural fibers are then wrapped around the pod, sometimes with added enzymes and beneficial microbes found in the body and the soil to encourage decomposition and reabsorption.

Then the pod is buried either with a new sapling above it or within the roots of a fully-grown tree. Over time, the pod and body decompose naturally, providing nutrients to nourish the tree, the surrounding plants, and the mycelium network buried in the earth. Since this fungal web allows trees to communicate and share nutrients, a body’s base components do good for more than just the tree it's buried beneath.

The Science Behind the Tree Pod Burial Myth

Tree pod burials have captured the public imagination with their poetic promise: returning the body to the earth beneath a growing tree, symbolizing life after death in a deeply natural way. But as beautiful as this idea is, it's not currently a viable or sustainable burial method. In reality, trees have delicate root systems that don’t thrive on the complex process of human decomposition. The nutrients from a single body aren’t ideal for supporting tree growth, and the anaerobic conditions underground can actually harm the roots, making it difficult for the tree to survive long-term. In short, nature doesn’t quite work the way the concept suggests.

Fortunately, there are real, earth-friendly options available today. Green burial—where a body is buried without embalming, in a biodegradable casket or shroud—allows natural decomposition to occur in conservation-focused cemeteries. Natural Organic Reduction (NOR), also known as human composting, accelerates this process in a controlled environment, returning nutrient-rich soil to the earth. These methods support the environment without relying on symbolism alone. So while tree pod burials remain an inspiring concept, meaningful green alternatives already exist—and they're making a real impact.

The Evolution of Tree Pod Burials

Tree pod burials and natural burials require a shift in how we humans think, talk, and act, about death and burial.

Ancient Origins of Tree Pod Burials

Using trees as part of human intervention is not a new concept in the history of the world. Balinese, Naga, and Aboriginal Australians used burial trees as a practice, as did many First Nations Americans on the plains, like the Ponca. However, their reasons were a bit different. Corpses were enshrouded and tied to high branches, ensuring bodies would not accidentally become unearthed in heavy rain, that wolves wouldn’t dig up and consume the remains, and so that the surviving loved ones could more easily talk to their departed ancestors.

The practice may have also started as a way to inter the dead during winter, when frozen ground was harder to break. Even though the practice differs from tree pod burials, the idea still involves allowing a body to be broken down naturally by the elements and time. Tree pod burials combine the idea of a tree as a symbol of life and death with our modern practices of putting bodies in the ground.

Contemporary Challenges and Innovations

In 2016, Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel, two designers from Italy, came up with the idea and started their company, Capsula Mundi (“the world’s capsule,” Latin.) Since then, a few other companies have started with the same idea. However, there happens to be a catch to this dream. To date, no one has been buried full-body in this way. 

There are a few reasons for this. Regulations, standards, and laws differ across states and countries, all reflecting different attitudes and beliefs about death and how we humans should deal with it. Funerary practices have been in place for thousands of years with little change or consideration for the effects on the environment. 

Though there is a new shift in thinking and talking about death, tree pod burials still have an upward battle. The same can be said for natural burials in general, as public perception tends to skew more towards the status quo. There are local news stories from across the internet about natural cemeteries having difficulty getting their practices approved, like one about local laws changing to require some sort of barrier around natural burials because neighbors were worried about leakage. The ironic thing is, that the only reason leakage would seep onto surrounding property would be because of current embalming practices.

But there's still hope. Capsula Mundi (and others) do offer a smaller biodegradable urn meant to house the ash cremation of a dead person. The urn is still planted in the ground beneath a tree, whether a sapling or fully grown. 

Though this option still seeks to stay within the definition of a natural burial, it’s a little more of a hybrid type since cremation has a sizable carbon cost. For a greener option, the process of alkaline hydrolysis — also known as 'water cremation’ — uses a fraction of the energy needed for flames, while providing next of kin with the same result. This is still a newer process also facing regulatory hurdles.

Green Burial & NOR

Tree pod burials are a beautiful idea, but not yet practical. Luckily, green burial and human composting (NOR) are real, eco-friendly options available now. These methods return the body to the earth naturally—without relying on symbolism alone. For more information visit The Green Burial Council.

Tree Planting and Ecosystem Enhancement

One of the most obvious benefits is the addition of a new tree to the world or bolstering a grown one. 

Not only are trees an excellent way to convert greenhouse gasses into breathable oxygen, but their root systems help fight erosion, their fallen leaves contribute to healthy topsoil, and their branches, bark, and trunks become home and shelter for a vast amount of creatures from the microscopic to megafauna. 

In short, as the popular adage says, “The best time to plant a tree is yesterday; the second best is today.” More trees, and more healthier trees, contribute to a better, cleaner, and more vibrant environment for everyone.

Reduction of Carbon Footprint

The use of greener burial methods also minimizes the carbon footprint of a single, conventional interment.

Green burials and Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) utilize biodegradable materials and natural processes that allow the body to return to the earth without the environmental burden of embalming or concrete vaults. Since these methods avoid the use of toxic embalming fluids, no harmful chemicals are introduced to the soil.

Furthermore, without chemical preservation, the components of decomposed human remains reenter the natural cycle—much like fallen leaves breaking down into nutrient-rich soil that supports new life.

Manual Digging and Symbolic Participation

Oftentimes when green burials are carried out near existing trees or in natural cemeteries, graves are manually dug to protect surrounding root systems. Heavy machinery can damage the environment and release unnecessary carbon into the atmosphere. Using shovels and hand tools instead can also offer a meaningful opportunity for family and friends to participate—providing a cathartic, symbolic way to say goodbye and support the grieving process.

Reimagining Land Use and Cultural Practices

Another concern of the modern funeral industry that green burials seek to address is the question of land use.

Like in the introductory illustration, forests with trees marking the gravesites of loved ones give new life to cemetery grounds, which as a whole take up a large chunk of real estate just in the US alone. Creating green spaces for parks, permaculture efforts, and nature preserves reinvents land that would otherwise remain dedicated to a single purpose.

In Victorian England, one cultural pastime was to stroll, picnic, and spend time with extant loved ones in city cemeteries and church graveyards. This was seen as a healthy way to recognize and reflect on mortality and celebrate the short lives humans live. Forest cemeteries with green burials could bring about a resurgence of this ethos—a weaving together of life and death.

Planting Seeds for the Future:

Although full-body tree pod burials remain a concept still far from widespread practice, the idea itself doesn’t need to be abandoned.

There are many natural and alternative burial options available right now, which not only help shift public perception but also expand awareness of the diverse possibilities for honoring life—including the promise of tree pods.

Most barriers to these types of burial come from regulatory frameworks at local, state, and sometimes federal levels, making it challenging for alternative burial philosophies to gain significant traction.

Advocates for natural burial practices can play a vital role in fostering a greener future for all aspects of death care by engaging with policymakers and raising awareness. The more people express interest in tree pods and other eco-friendly options, the greater the chance the funeral industry will move away from outdated methods rooted in outdated fears about human decomposition.

From a scientific perspective, the law of conservation of energy tells us that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed. Beyond this literal truth, many interpret it spiritually—that a person’s essence doesn’t vanish at death but shifts into another form, whether that be an afterlife or a lingering presence in this world.

If death and burial can nurture a wealth of vibrant, living flora, perhaps dying need not be so frightening. Imagine the peace in becoming one with a tree—rooted, basking in sunlight, and simply growing.