Planting your pet's ashes in Edmonds
Roughly 1,300 Edmonds families say goodbye to a dog or cat each year, by our count. A living memorial is one way to mark it. This guide explains how to make one that actually grows.
- Trees matched to Edmonds's climate
- Soil-safe planting method for ashes
- Real prices for bio urns and aquamation
Edmonds, Washington
Bio urns, trees and water in Edmonds
Salt air, rain and shade from tall trees wear down outdoor memorials. For a garden bed, choose granite, slate or bronze and avoid painted plaster. A biodegradable urn planted with a native shrub or small tree is another quiet option for a private yard, and it asks nothing further of you once it's in the ground. Set it somewhere you'll see from a favorite window.
Many Edmonds residents are retirees or long-time homeowners, and some prefer one simple, dignified urn on a shelf beside photos. Others divide ashes so adult children in other cities can each keep a small portion. Mention any split before cremation so the provider can prepare separate containers. Label each container clearly with a name and dates. Some families also slip a short written note inside the box, so that years later the story stays with the ashes wherever they end up.
In a town the size of Edmonds, the nearest aquamation provider may be an hour or more away, and pet crematories often serve a wide rural area. That doesn't change what you can do with the ashes. A flame-cremated pet's ashes work just as well in a planting urn or water urn. If a lower-impact goodbye is the main reason you're here, the choice of cremation matters more than the urn, so ask about water cremation before you commit.
About 42,748 people live in Edmonds, which makes it the 28th-largest of the 67 Washington communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve Edmonds are based about 14 miles away in Seattle, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
Our pages for Lynnwood (3 miles), Mountlake Terrace (3 miles) and Shoreline (4 miles) describe the same choices from those towns' point of view, and the providers overlap, so a quote from one often covers Edmonds as well.
Our estimate
15,500
Edmonds: dog- or cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
42,748 ÷ 2.5 = 17,099 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 15,500. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
1,300
Estimated dog and cat losses in Edmonds each year
How we calculated this
15,500 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 1,300 a year. Treat it as a minimum.
53%[1]
53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households.
12.69 years[2]
US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years.
39%[3]
39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households.
11.18 years[4]
US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years.
The numbers above come from Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, if you'd like to read the original sources.
The local attitude to ashes and memorials
Because cremation is the norm in Washington, at roughly 79.1%[5] of deaths, green ideas about ashes are easy to raise without raised eyebrows. In the US, 68%[6] of people in NFDA's 2024 consumer survey expressed interest in green funeral or natural burial options. If you'd like the lower-impact route for a pet, start with the cremation method, then choose an urn that breaks down and a native plant.
For the Washington figure we rely on Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024). Read it as a picture of local custom around death and remembrance in Edmonds rather than as pet data.
Choosing the right month to plant in Edmonds
In Edmonds, winters are gentle, with February lows around 37°F, and summers are warm rather than scorching. That opens up evergreen choices, such as a native evergreen shrub or a small conifer, which give you a green memorial all year. Whatever you choose, water through the first summer, keep grass away from the base and replace mulch each spring.
Damp, mild air suits fungus as well as trees. In Edmonds, choose a species or variety known to resist the leaf spots, mildews and cankers that local gardeners complain about, and plant it where air moves freely rather than in a sheltered, stagnant corner. A nursery that has sold trees locally for years will know which ones stay clean.
What bio urns and aquamation cost in Edmonds
Bio urns vary more in price than you might expect. A national guide puts biodegradable urns at $70–$260[7], depending on material, size and whether a seed or tree system is included. For a lake or sea release, one water urn designed to float briefly and dissolve sells for $149[8]. In Edmonds, the tree and the soil amendments are usually the cheapest part of the whole memorial.
For a line-by-line price table, see the Washington overview; for what's included in each option, see our services.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Rules worth knowing in Washington before you scatter
Rules about ashes were mostly written for people, and pet ashes often sit in a grey area. That's a reason to ask, not a reason to assume. On land you own, planting or burying ashes is generally fine. Anywhere else in Washington, from parks to beaches to a friend's field, the land manager or owner decides, so ask first.
Washington keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers Edmonds.
The Washington page sets out who oversees pet cremation and what the state says about burial and scattering. Edmonds's own bylaws can sit on top of that, so ask before you dig.
Your next steps, whatever your situation
- Confirm the ashes will come back. Communal cremation usually means no ashes are returned, and you can't plant what you don't receive.
- Pick the type of bio urn: one that grows a tree, a simple biodegradable urn to bury in a quiet bed, or a floating urn meant for a lake, river or the coast.
- Ask permission from the landowner, landlord or park manager for anywhere that isn't yours.
- Plan for the weather. Around Edmonds, skip days when the soil is rock-hard, frozen or sodden, and wait for still, gentle conditions to plant or release.
- Release gently on water. Set the urn on the surface, let it float and sink on its own, and add only loose petals.
- Come back in a year. Top up the mulch, see how much the tree has put on, and photograph it to record the first anniversary.
Ways to mark the spot and the date
Edmonds has a long-standing arts culture, with galleries, an annual arts festival and public sculpture downtown. That shows in how some families remember animals: commissioned portraits, handmade ceramic urns or glass keepsakes with ashes set inside. If you're working with an artist, confirm they handle cremated remains before ordering. Custom pieces can take weeks or months to complete, so a plain temporary box is perfectly fine while you wait. There's no need to decide quickly.
read our guides and latest articles, The services page is the place to compare what is included, or see what other families chose in the poll results, use the free tools before you ring anyone. More local pages: Vancouver, Spokane, Seattle and Bellevue, the Washington overview and every city in the United States.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
If water cremation (aquamation) were offered near you, would you choose it?
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Would you consider releasing your pet's ashes in water?
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If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
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Free tools to help you plan
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Memorial tree finder
Pick a tree for a planting urn that suits your climate, space and pet.
Aftercare options compared
Compare private, communal and water cremation with burial on cost, timing and what comes home.
Questions people ask
How many pet owners live in Edmonds?
By our estimate, about 15,500 households in Edmonds have at least one dog or cat, and around 1,300 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 42,748, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
Does the Edmonds climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In August, with highs near 77°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. Winters here are mild enough that burial or scattering is possible in any month.
Which nearby towns can I compare with Edmonds?
The closest communities we cover are Lynnwood (about 3 miles), Mountlake Terrace (about 3 miles) and Shoreline (about 4 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Edmonds too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
How do Washington attitudes to cremation compare?
Direct Cremate (citing CANA) (2024) puts the Washington human cremation rate at about 79.1%[5]. We show it on the Edmonds page because pet aftercare choices tend to track it: where cremation is normal for people, communal and private pet cremation are both easy to find.
I rent in Edmonds. Can I still have a living memorial?
Yes. Plant in a large container, such as a half-barrel or a big pot with a dwarf tree or flowering shrub, and it moves with you. Use only a small share of the ashes in the pot, well mixed with compost. If you'd like to plant in a rented yard, get the landlord's permission in writing, and remember the tree stays when you leave.
Can I bury pet ashes on a farm or rural land near Edmonds?
On land you own, burying ashes is generally allowed. Keep the planting well away from wells, springs and streams, and away from ground where livestock graze or crops are grown. On someone else's land, including family land, ask the owner first and agree that the memorial can stay if the land changes hands.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 2025.
- [2] US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [3] 39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 2025.
- [4] US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [5] Washington had a 79.1% cremation rate in 2024, among the highest in the US. Direct Cremate (citing CANA), 2024.
- [6] 68% of respondents to NFDA's 2024 Consumer Awareness and Preferences Survey expressed interest in green funeral or natural burial options. NFDA — Green Burial Resources for Funeral Professionals, 2024.
- [7] Funeral.com cites U.S. Funerals Online that biodegradable urns typically cost about $70–$260. Funeral.com – How Much Do Cremation Urns Cost in 2025, 2025.
- [8] The Living Urn's Eco Water Urn for water burial costs $149 and holds up to 225 cubic inches; it floats for several minutes before dissolving. The Living Urn – Eco Water Urn, 2026.
- [9] Switching one human-scale cremation to alkaline hydrolysis saves about 112 kg CO2e under TNO's accounting. Our estimate: 79.9 - (-31.8) kg CO2e. How we calculate.
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