Oh wow, I got ‘treemendous news’ from my friend and founder of Tree Huggers®, a personalized tree plaque that is often used to memorialize or celebrate a life or mark a special occasion when placed on a newly planted or even a mature tree. Any day now, she hopes to receive confirmation of her little company’s most prestigious single order: providing Tree Huggers® for the national 9/11 Memorial & Museum at Ground Zero in New York. If approved, she will design and outfit all 413 trees that have been planted as part of the permanent memorial on the site of the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, where a 10-year remembrance will be held on Sept. 11.

Tree Huggers® are 2″ tall and 6″ wide; created from high-grade stainless steel and noted for being the only tree plaque that will gently wrap around the tree (by means of encased tension springs), and expand without harming it as it grows. It will not rust or corrode or release any harmful toxins or chemicals that could harm the tree. To accommodate tree growth, springs are provided in two lengths to take trees from infancy to a circumference of up to 60″. Tree Huggers® are engraved using diamond-tipped cutters, for a beautiful and enduring result.

The idea of planting a tree in memory of a loved one, or to mark important milestones has certainly caught on around the country. We get many calls from schools, parks, neighborhood associations, and families and friends looking for tree memorial ideas.

One of my favorite “Huggers” was one that read: “A memory is a garden where yesterday continues to blossom and love continues to grow. We will miss you.” What a beautiful memory tree!

Photo: Charles V. Tines