Description
Plants have been an integral part of burial rites throughout human history. Around the globe and through the ages, many cultures have used plants in and around burial grounds, on the earth surrounding a gravesite, and even within the burial chamber itself. The plants chosen for burial rites are often used for specific reasons, and they symbolize different meanings to different groups of people. They played a role in forming the first burial grounds in America to depart from the traditional churchyard, the first green spaces set aside for recreation in the United States, and a new profession, landscape architecture. Their role in death is creating growing interest in citizen science, biodiversity, and nontraditional uses of burial grounds.
