Plant a Tree in Memory of Someone: a Muslim Guide (and What It Costs)

Published by Well & Trees
2026-10-14

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Trees · In memory

Planting a tree in memory of someone is one of the oldest ways to grieve, and in Islam it is also a charity that keeps giving in their name. This guide covers how a memorial tree works, what to write on the plaque, what it costs compared with the alternatives, and what makes it a sadaqah jariyah when the person was Muslim.

In short

A memorial tree is a living tribute: it grows for decades and feeds a family where it is planted.
For a Muslim, it is also sadaqah jariyah: every fruit eaten from it is a charity in their name (Sahih al-Bukhari 2320).
With Well & Trees: £28, a plaque with the name, GPS location and photos, planted in Madagascar within about 3 months.
UK dedications cost £10 to £30 with a certificate; US memorial trees from $10 per tree, usually without a named plaque.

Two Well & Trees team members watering young trees in a field in Madagascar — The first weeks decide everything: our team waters and checks the young trees.

Why a tree?

Flowers fade in a week. A tree planted the month someone dies is still growing on the tenth anniversary, and someone is eating from it. That is why families across every culture plant trees for the dead, and why so many Muslims choose one as a first charity after a loss: it is affordable, it is visible, and it works on its own.

For a Muslim who has passed away, the tree does something more. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever plants a tree from which a human, a bird or an animal eats has a charity for it (Sahih al-Bukhari 2320), and charity given on behalf of the deceased reaches them (Sahih al-Bukhari 1388). A fruit tree in their name is a charity that is counted every harvest.

One tree, decades of charity

A mango or guava tree in Madagascar bears fruit from the third year and keeps giving for forty. Every fruit eaten is counted (Sahih al-Bukhari 2320).

Hadith

“There is no Muslim who plants a tree or sows a field, and a bird, a human or an animal eats from it, but it is a charity for him.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 2320, Sahih Muslim 1553.

How a memorial tree works with Well & Trees

Choose the tree. A single fruit tree for £28, a bundle of 5 or 10 when a family gives together, or a forest.
Write the dedication. “In memory of Aisha Rahman”, “For my father, Yusuf”, with or without dates, with or without a dua.
The tree is planted in Madagascar for a family who will look after it and keep the fruit. Mango, guava, papaya, lemon or jackfruit, depending on the soil.
You receive the GPS location, the photos of the sapling and the plaque, and a certificate you can share with the family, within about 3 months.

Well & Trees team member watering a newly planted sapling in Madagascar next to its plaque — A tree planted in Madagascar in the name of Farah: the plaque stands next to the sapling, and the GPS point lets you find it again years later.

Their name, next to the tree

“A tree in the name of Farah.” The plaque stands next to the sapling the day it is planted; the photo and the GPS point come to you by email, and the family keeps the fruit.

What to write on the plaque

Simple: “In loving memory of Khadija Ali, 1951-2026”.
With a dua: “For my mother Khadija. May Allah have mercy on her.”
From the family: “Planted by the grandchildren of Haji Yusuf Khan”.
Without religious wording, for a tribute to anyone: “For Tom, who loved his garden”.

Keep it short enough to read on a plaque next to a sapling. The photos will show it clearly.

How it compares with other memorial trees

Option	Price	What you get	Where
Well & Trees fruit tree	£28	Named plaque, GPS location, photos, certificate; the fruit feeds a family	Madagascar
UK woodland dedication (Woodland Trust, National Trust, Trees for Life)	£10 to £30	Certificate; tree in a UK wood, usually no individual plaque or photo	UK
UK memorial tree with plaque (National Forest and similar)	£500 to £600	Landscape tree with engraved plaque, visit possible	UK
US memorial trees (Arbor Day, A Living Tribute)	from $10 per tree	Card or certificate; trees planted in a forest, no individual tree	US
Olive tree dedications (UK charities)	£10 to £15	Certificate; tree planted for a farming family	Palestine, Syria

Prices observed in October 2026. UK dedications are excellent for a local tribute; a fruit tree abroad is the choice when you want the tree to feed someone, and a named plaque you can see.

Blue hand-pump well in Pakistan with a plaque asking for dua for the customer's grandmother, children washing — ‘Please do dua for my grandma’: a well built in memory of a grandmother.

The same name, on a well

“Please do dua for my grandma.” Many families plant a tree first, then build a well in the same name. The plaque carries the dedication in the words you choose.

Memorial tree for a Muslim: what makes it a sadaqah jariyah

Three conditions, all easy to meet. The tree must be real and planted, not a share in a fund. It must be one that people eat from, so that the hadith applies every season. And it must be given with the intention of charity on behalf of the person. Write their name, make the intention, and the rest follows. Our article Is planting a tree sadaqah jariyah? goes through the texts.

Many families also build a water well in the person’s name, the charity the Prophet ﷺ recommended to Sa’d ibn Ubadah for his mother, and plant a tree for each grandchild to give. The guide to sadaqah jariyah for deceased parents lists eight options.

Memorial tree for anyone

You do not need to be Muslim, or to be remembering a Muslim, to plant a tree with us. The dedication can be anything; the tree feeds a family either way. If you are looking for a tribute for a colleague, a neighbour or a friend of another faith, a fruit tree with their name is a gift that the family can follow on a map for years.

Hands planting a fruit tree sapling in red soil in Madagascar — Planting day: the sapling leaves its bag and goes into the ground, with the family who will look after it.

Two Well & Trees team members planting a sapling in Madagascar at sunset — Our team in Madagascar plants, photographs and follows every tree.

Child drinking from a hand-pump well in Niger, plaque in memory of a deceased person — A well in Niger built in memory of someone who passed away: ‘may the water flow as an ongoing charity for him’.

When to plant it

There is no right moment. Some families order in the first week, so the certificate is ready for the funeral or the gathering. Others wait for the fortieth day, the first anniversary, or the person’s birthday. Trees are planted in Madagascar within about three months of the order, in the planting season for the species.

Frequently asked questions

Can I plant a tree in memory of someone?

Yes. Write their name when you order; it goes on the plaque planted next to the tree. You receive the GPS location, the photos and a certificate to share with the family.

How much does a memorial tree cost?

£28 with Well & Trees, all included. UK woodland dedications cost £10 to £30 without a named plaque; UK trees with an engraved plaque cost £500 or more.

Is a memorial tree a sadaqah jariyah?

Yes, when the person was Muslim and the tree is one people eat from: every fruit is a charity in their name (Sahih al-Bukhari 2320), and charity on behalf of the deceased reaches them (Sahih al-Bukhari 1388).

Can I visit the tree?

You receive the GPS location and can see it on a map. Visits to the villages in Madagascar are possible on request, but most families follow the tree through the photos.

Can the plaque be in another language?

Yes. English, Arabic, Urdu, French or any language; write the text exactly as you want it engraved.

Sources

Sahih al-Bukhari 2320; Sahih Muslim 1553 (planting a tree).
Sahih al-Bukhari 1388 (charity on behalf of the deceased).
Prices of UK and US memorial tree providers, checked in October 2026.

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