Flower tattoos

Flower tattoos are for the most part a development of the past few decades, and testimony to the fact that it is now acceptable for a woman to get tattoos ( it wasn't always like this). A floral tattoo is often a good first tattoo for a woman who outgrew the age of the fake tattoo and wants something fairly subtle.
Flower tattoos can be pretty and rather feminine looking, but all the same there is considerable variety with regard to the style and overall look of the tattoo. They can be small and delicate or they can be big, bold, colorful and eclectic. You can have just a single flower or a chain of flowers.
But Flower tattoos are more than a pretty image on a pretty girl. Flowers are full of age-old symbolism (see further).
Flower tattoo designs are also popular amongst men, but then they are usually incorporated in a tribal design, or combined with a skull, cross or dagger. Hawaiian flowers are appropriate for a man’s tattoo as well.
Flowers in tattoo art are combined frequently with vines, butterflies, hummingbirds and ladybugs.

Flower Tattoo Designs

Lovely Red Rose Tattoo

The rose must be the oldest and most popular flower used for tattoo designs. Roses mean very different things for different people, but there are some traditional meanings:
Red roses stand for love and romance (as well as courage).
Pink roses mean grace and admiration.
White rose tattoos stand symbol for eternal love and innocence.
Rosebuds denote beauty and youth.
Many old school tattoos incorporate a rose image, and even on their own rose tattoos can have some of that old school look.

Tattoo Gun in Action on a
Cherry Blossom Tattoo

A cherry blossom tattoo is a very feminine tattoo. The cherry blossom is a symbol for female beauty and love (in China), but also for the transience of life (in Japan) because the cherry blossom blooms for a very short time only.

Lily Tattoo

A lily as a flower in general denotes purity, but there are many different kinds of lilies and lily tattoo designs. Depending on the culture and times, lilies often mean different or even opposite things.
In ancient Egypt, the lily was a symbol for fertility, while in medieval times it symbolized innocence.
The calla lily signifies beauty, but an orange lily on the other hand denotes hatred.
The meaning behind a tiger lily tattoo is usually pride or prosperity.

A Lotus Flower Tattoo

Lotus flower tattoos are amongst my favorite tattoo designs because of their symbolic meaning.
Just like the beautiful lotus flower floats on the muddy waters of a pond, it is a symbol for purity floating on the dirty waters of our society.
The lotus flower is seen often in Indian and Chinese mythology, where it is a symbol for spiritual awakening.
Just like cherry blossom, the lotus flower is seen often in Japanese tattoo designs.

Sunflower tattoo, still healing

Sunflower tattoo designs can be particularly striking. Just as the sunflower itself is bolder and more impact than most other flowers (due to its size and color), a sunflower tattoo is generally bigger and bolder than most other flower tattoos.
A big sunflower is a symbol for loyalty.
A smaller sunflower means adoration.

Hibiscus tattoo

The Hibiscus is also a popular tattoo flower. It is a tropical flower (the state flower of Hawaii) and is usually red or yellow.
The symbolic meaning of an Hibiscus tattoo is delicate beauty or consumed by love.

A Blue Daisy Tattoo

Daisy tattoos, on the ankle, shoulder or foot for example, are pretty and delicate. They are very much in keeping with a feminine, ladylike appearance (Daisy is also a common girl's name) and are usually small.
The Daisy is a flower that represents innocence, loyalty in love, purity and faith.

Tropical flower tattoos are often combined with a Hawaiian band and are appropriate for both men and women. Hawaiian arm and leg tattoos were very popular for a long time, and are making a bit of a comeback currently. A tropical flower may be seen on its own, but more often it is part of an integrated design or pattern.
Other flowers that are often used for tattoos are forget me not's (an old believe is that the wearers of this flower are not forgotten by their lovers), orchid flowers (mysterious), sweet pea flowers (blissful pleasure), irises (passion), violets (faithfulness, modesty), narcissus (self-esteem) and peony flowers (anger).
Flower tattoos are an attractive option for women who want a discreet and feminine tattoo, but they are more than that. Flower tattoos can convey a variety of looks, images and styles, from old school to tribal. They are timeless and very attractive, and because they can be quite small, they can work in a variety of places and designs.