Where life blooms among the dead

Joseph Charap in a wildflower meadow in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. More burial sites are forgoing pristine lawns for drought-resistant plants and wildflowers that help wildlife. — ©2025 The New York Times Company

ACROSS the United States, cemeteries – often seen as solemn places for mourning – are being reimagined as sanctuaries where life thrives.

Groundskeepers, horticulturists and conservationists are changing how they manage burial grounds, embracing wild meadows, native plants and rewilding practices that foster wildlife and combat climate change.