Rooted in Memory

Who plants your trees?

Dementia UK works with not-for-profit organisation Eforests. Eforests aims to create and restore woodlands throughout the UK. Eforests is run almost entirely by volunteers and all profits made are put towards funding new tree-planting projects around the country.

Please note that all of the woodlands are owned and managed by either the local community, farmers, nature reserve managers or private landowners – not Eforests.

Which tree is mine? Will there be a plaque or label on my tree?

To protect the natural beauty of the woodlands, we do not mark the trees in any way so although you can visit the woodland, you will not be able to identify individually dedicated trees. Each tree that is dedicated should be seen as a contribution to the woodland.

We also ask anyone visiting the woodland to respect their natural surroundings and not mark the trees in any way or place any labels, plaques or flowers near the trees.

What sort of maintenance is done on the trees?

Eforests plants trees in partnership with nature reserves and community woodlands who are just as keen as us and you to ensure as many trees survive and live to maturity as possible.

With the help of their volunteers, they look after the trees at the sites, checking in with each woodland annually to make sure the trees are doing well. Eforests adds recent photos of the woodland to its website to show how it’s thriving.

The first few years are the most critical to a tree’s survival and any damaged or dying trees are replaced within the first five years. If you visit one of the woodlands in the spring/summer and spot any trees that look damaged or are dying, please take photos of them and email the information to contact@eforests.co.uk. Eforests will make sure that the damaged/dying trees are replaced in the next planting season (November to March each year).

When will my tree be planted?

Eforests plants trees from November to March. This allows the trees to establish their roots and have a better chance of survival through their first dry summer period.

As Eforests only plants from November to March, your tree(s) will not necessarily be planted when you place your order on our website.

Depending on the region where you have chosen to have your tree(s) planted, Eforests may allocate you a tree that has already been planted or that will be planted in the next planting season.

Can I be present when my tree is planted?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to arrange individual planting sessions for trees dedicated with Rooted in Memory.

What species of trees are planted?

The trees planted include native UK species such as oak, ash, rowan, hazel, silver birch, Scots pine etc. Fruit trees are not planted, except for wild species such as wild cherry, wild pear and wild plum.

Can I request a certain species of tree to be planted?

Yes, simply put this in the ‘Special requests’ section at the bottom of the form.

We will do our best to plant the species of tree that you request, however, because of varying soil conditions at each nature reserve/woodland, we cannot guarantee this.

How big are the trees that are planted?

Typically, they are small saplings at first, between one and two feet tall, depending on the species of tree.

Where will my tree be planted?

Your tree will be planted in a region of your choice:

South-East England
South-West England
The Midlands
Northern England
Scotland
Wales

Eforests plants trees in almost every county. They will always do their best to plant your tree in your chosen region, however depending on space limitations at certain sites, we can’t guarantee a specific location will be available.

Should they be unable to plant your tree(s) in your chosen region, they will plant them in the nearest available region.

Unfortunately, Eforests cannot plant trees within Northern Ireland.

Can I visit the woodland where my tree is planted?

Everyone is welcome to visit the woodlands as Eforests only plants trees on publicly accessible land.

Some of the woodlands may have access restrictions at certain times or visitors may need to make an appointment with the landowner prior to visiting.

Once you have had your tree dedicated, you can check the ‘My tree’ page on Eforests’ website to find full details of where your tree is planted and if there are any restrictions on visiting that particular woodland.

Please note that to protect the natural beauty of the woodlands, we do not mark the trees in any way so although you can visit the woodland, you will not be able to identify individually dedicated trees. Each tree that is dedicated should be seen as a contribution to the woodland as a whole.

How accessible are the woodlands?

The access to each woodland varies. Some may have paths through them or public footpaths close by, but others may be in relatively difficult to access areas such as steep hillsides.

You can visit the ‘My tree’ page on Eforests’ website to find details of where your tree is planted and a Google Maps link to the woodland so you can check how it is accessed.

Please be aware that maintenance work may take places in woodlands throughout the year. While the owners/managers do their utmost to keep the woodlands accessible and safe, neither the woodland owners, Dementia UK nor Eforests will be held responsible for any accidents in the woodlands.

Can I spread the ashes of my loved one in the woodlands?

Sadly we’re unable to allow this, as the woodlands are often nature reserves or community woodlands and are not used purely for memorial reasons. We ask that any visitors respect these natural surroundings and don’t leave anything behind in the woodland (ashes, flowers, plaques, ribbons, litter etc).

When will I receive my confirmation email?

You will receive confirmation of your dedication on same day you place the order. We will send you another email within 14 days, containing your unique certificate number that will allow you to access the online details of the species and its location, so you can visit the woodland your tree is in.

Can I dedicate more than one tree?

Yes! There is a suggested minimum donation of £75 per tree. Each tree you dedicate in honour of your loved one will help more families across the UK access the life-changing support of a dementia specialist Admiral Nurse – in local communities, on our Helpline and in online and face-to-face clinics. The more you donate, the more families you will support with the gift of specialist dementia care.

If you would like to dedicate tree to multiple loved ones, you can fill out the dedication form again to make a separate dedication.

How long will it take to receive my certificate?

Paper certificates will arrive within 14 days of the date of your order. If you’re dedicating a tree in celebration of your loved one this Christmas, please make sure you have placed your order by Friday 12th December 2025 to ensure arrival before Christmas.

If you would like a digital copy of the certificate to forward to a family member or friend, please email remembrance@dementiauk.org

What if my certificate hasn’t arrived?

If you haven’t received your certificate within 14 days of placing your order, please email remembrance@dementiauk.org and we will arrange for a new one to be sent out to you.

What is your refund for donations policy?

Full details of our refund for donations policy can be found here: Refund for donations – Dementia UK.

Why is there a suggested minimum donation of £75?

A suggested donation of £75 covers the cost of your tree and its ongoing maintenance. It could also pay for an Admiral Nurse to spend two hours supporting a family in the community, providing them with practical and emotional guidance as they navigate their journey with dementia.

Please note that the suggested donation amount is not mandatory or binding and you can contribute any amount you feel comfortable with and can afford, should you wish to. Every donation will ensure more families can access the life-changing support of an Admiral Nurse.

How do you process my donation?

PayPal is our secure payment processor. When you reach the checkout, you can use PayPal to pay with a credit or debit card by either logging into PayPal and following the steps or by selecting the ‘Pay with debit or credit card’ and then checking out as a guest.

Do I need a PayPal account to make a donation?

No. PayPal is our secure payment processor but you don’t need an account to make your donation. When you reach the checkout, select PayPal and a pop-up will offer you the choice to sign-in to an existing PayPal account or to ‘Pay with Debit or Credit card’. When you select ‘Pay with Debit or Credit card’, you can check out as a guest using your card details.