Flowers are easily one of the most popular tattoo designs. "I find that floral tattoos are popular because [they have] the most versatility in regards to execution," Bronx-based tattooist Julissa Rodriguez tells Allure. "Floral designs can be executed in various styles and can be incorporated into almost every general custom design that an artist creates."
Brooklyn-based tattoo artist Tiaret Mitchell, who studies floral symbolism and regularly incorporates blooms into their work, believes these tattoos are popular because of the deeper meanings some flowers embody. "[Flowers] symbolize growth and the beauty in transformation," Mitchell shares. "I think having a symbol marked on your body that represents these elements helps assist a lot of people in their own journeys of navigating their growth and finding the beauty within it." They note, for example, that the lotus flower symbolizes "the murkiness and muddy patches in life help us deeply in our growth," for Buddhists.
Of the floral design requests they'll receive, Rodriguez says that roses, lilies, and peonies are the most popular flowers their clients choose. "My clients tend to request these specific flowers…in memory of a loved one that's passed," they explain. They add that lilies are typically associated with passing and mourning, while peonies tend to be symbols of love and honor. Mitchell, on the other hand, says their clients typically will ask them to choose a floral or even do a freehand design. With hundreds of thousands of flowering plants known to exist throughout the world, the options for floral tattoos are practically endless.
How To Find a Floral Tattoo That's Right for You
Finding the right floral design for you starts with researching flowers and their meaning, especially if you have zero idea of what you want, explains Mitchell. In addition to discovering new types of flowers, this process can help you find inspiration for the sizing, shape, and color of your tattoo.
"It all depends on a person's journey," Mitchell says, explaining that many people search for a flower that best commemorates and represents whatever it is they're looking to celebrate. But if a flower resonates with you simply because it is cute, that's okay too.
Your tattoo artist might also be able to help and provide suggestions, particularly if they specialize in floral designs. Rodriguez will try to assist their undecided clients with picking a flower design by asking a few questions. "I always ask my clients if they have any favorite flowers, or their birth month or the birth month of the family member or person(s) they may want the piece to represent," they share. "I ask them what feelings they want their design to invoke, and from their answers, I actually will look up what flowers represent those emotions or values."
For any tattoo, Mitchell highly recommends looking at different artists' portfolios. Doing so will help you decide if that tattooist's style matches what you envisioned for your ink. For instance: If you are thinking about colorful body art, then make sure the artist has colorful work in their portfolio. If you want a watercolor-style design, an artist who specializes in bold, American traditional tattooing probably won't be a fit.
If you know you want a color tattoo, you may also want to ask the artists you're considering if they offer a color test. Color tests involve your artist tattooing several rainbow shades, typically in small designs, onto your skin to see what works best. It's your best bet for ensuring the inks your tattooist used will heal well, Mitchell shares.
Floral Tattoo Ideas
Once you've figured out the type of flower you want to get, you may still need some help narrowing down the style in which to get it. For that, we present 31 floral tattoo designs that range from hyper-realistic to traditional to weird and abstract.
Rodriguez tattooed this pretty fuchsia daisy onto a client's back. Though the petals look realistic, the stem turns into the words "my sister" written in cursive. The gorgeous ombré petals float away and transform into small butterflies that look like they are flying toward the client's shoulder.
Mitchell worked their interpretation of the Japanese poppy into a fine-line design of a curvy, feminine body. The poppy — with its petals outstretched — seemingly represents the head of the body, while a second, smaller flower appears to be its feet.
This chrysanthemum — a large thigh piece on one of Rodriguez's clients — features burgundy coloring on select petals. Upon closer inspection, you'll find that the colored petals have an ombre effect where the deep reddish hue fades into a navy blue.
New York City-based Olga Szublak, who goes by Szabla, isn't aiming to tattoo flowers that look like they were freshly picked. "I like to play around with the design, try to make it more abstract, and make a hybrid with human parts," she says.
It's exactly what she did here with this vibrant chrysanthemum arm tattoo that has a skull emerging from the flower's center. She added a coral hue to the outer portion of the petals and a baby blue on the other side that looks like the clearest Caribbean ocean. The skull is highlighted with the same blue hue as well as a muted violet, making this tattoo an explosion of color.
Rodriguez is the mastermind behind this vibrant tattoo. You'll notice its watercolor effect, with washes of color that look airbrushed. "A watercolor tattoo is a tattoo using textures that replicate the aesthetic of watercolor or brushstroke paint," tattoo artist Melody Mitchell previously told Allure.
This multicolored snake and rose tattoo is a perfect illustration of American traditional tattooing. It's a recreation of a design by Sailor Jerry, a popular tattooist who was known for revolutionizing what traditional American tattooing looks like. We love New York City-based tattoo artist Jaz’s iteration of the design, which features the stark contrast between the bright green and red hues throughout.
We always love how tattoo artists use color in a variety of ways. This piece, tattooed by Rodriguez, only has color on the flowers. The tips of these apple blossom flowers have a reddish hue that looks like it was airbrushed.
This bright yellow tattoo looks like a real sunflower. Rodriguez's skillful use of various colors is what makes this design eye-catching — shades of orange and yellow fade seamlessly on each petal.
Splashes of red, orange, and green look stunning in this lily watercolor tattoo by Rodriguez. This rib piece is a great example of another way to incorporate color through a watercolor effect.
If you're a floral enthusiast, you might recognize design as a wisteria. (If not, no worries that's what this gallery is here for.) The flowers' viny appearance makes it a good design option for a larger piece, as shown here on a forearm.
This peony tattoo by Rodriguez serves as proof that a floral tattoo can be done completely in black ink. Since the solid black petals draw so much focus, you might miss the central eyeball staring directly at you.
Rodriguez played around with a few colored inks and shading techniques for this delicate rose. The lines of the reddish rose are so soft that they are practically nonexistent in some areas. If you look closely you'll notice the dotwork technique Rodriguez used to create a gradient effect.
Florals do not have to be the main or only focus of your tattoo. Rodriguez etched these wildflowers — specifically hawthorns, violets, and poppies — onto their client's shoulder to create an afro of flowers for this portrait tattoo.
You can't go wrong with a classic rose tattoo on the arm. Rodriguez drew each individual detail, adding fine lines to the leaves and petals as well as the shaded in areas of the petals. If you look closely at the stem you'll even notice the light shading in certain sections.
This is another one of Szabla's creations. There's something so beautiful about the contrast between the classic-looking rose and the trippy blue eye.
This watercolor creation features two chrysanthemums, tattooed by Rodriguez. Swirls of purple, blue, and pink cover the flowers, leaves, and stems etched in black on the shoulder blade.
Rodriguez likes to vary the technique and style they use to create each rose tattoo so no two look exactly alike. This one is a fine-line tattoo with light shading in certain areas for added depth.
Rodriguez's client wanted one of her mother's watercolor paintings tattooed on her body, and Rodriguez excelled at recreating the look on her client's body. These purple and pink, bell-shaped blooms are foxgloves. Coloring within the line was not a necessity with these gorgeous watercolor tattoos. The black lines are rather fine and imperfect.
Mitchell named this tattoo "Green Growth." It features a light green magnolia branch that curves down the body from the ribs to below the thighs. Mitchell lays out these larger pieces so they flow with the unique shape of each client's body.
This seemingly simple ink is Mitchell's version of the flower of life symbol, a popular geometric pattern that consists of overlapping circles that form flowers. The petals of this flower look like they are thin blue branches formed together. Clusters of red dots in the center gradually fade and spread out toward the tips of the blue petals.
Mitchell tattooed this abstract design, which they named “Egg Shell.” The cracked egg reveals a red blob with a blue ring at its center that acts like the roots of a flower. From those "roots" sprout poppy flowers in the same red shade with blue dots for its pistils.
These wildflowers look so realistic — you can't convince us we can't pluck them and put them in a vase. Jaz tattooed each flower onto her client's arm using an array of colorful inks.
Once again Rodriguez used an ombré effect for the leaves with various green inks. These vibrant multicolored leaves contrast beautifully with the nasturtiums that are completely done in black ink.
This location and duo-toned magnolia tree brand deserve an A+. The vibrant red stamens burst out from the center of the flowers, which are outlined in navy blue.
Rodriguez's skillful use of color on this thigh tattoo deserves some praise because if you look closely you'll notice that they created an ombré effect on both the leaves and violets. The very center of the petals nearly match the complexion of the client but then the purple starts to come in gradually, leaving the outer parts of the petals as the darkest. The leaves fade from a dark hunter green to a bright lime green at each leaf's tip.
We like how Jaz incorporated both roses and peonies into this forearm tattoo. The butterfly perched on the flower is incredibly detailed and almost lifelike.
Roses are one of Jaz's most requested floral designs, but with each rose she inks, she reinvents the look. This floral tattoo is quite intricate despite its small size. The contrast between the purple and green hues makes each color stand out more.
This delicate lotus blossom tattoo illustrates the life cycle of the flower — starting from a closed, tiny bud placed near the elbow line and ending with a fully-bloomed flower with its petals outstretched. Jaz tattooed this design entirely in black ink.
The forearm is prime real estate for any tattoo, and we love how these magnolias and leaves look in the area. Jaz’s attention to detail with each stroke is evident from the lightly shaded areas, offering dimension to the flowers.
Rose tattoos have been done countless times before, but this one from Szabla has some atypical coloring. Though the design itself looks similar to the real thing, its navy blue petals with lime green edges make it far from what you're used to receiving in a bouquet. That blue hue even fades into a black right at the edge of each petal.
This is a bright tattoo. The diamond ombré background looks like it was drawn on with hot pink and orange highlighters, blended into each other. Somehow Szabla managed to add even more color to this tattoo with a golden sunflower that has the most realistic representation of leaves we have seen.
Read more about tattoos:
- 9 Types of Tattoos You'll See Everywhere This Year
- 31 Cute Tiny Ear Tattoos That Are Perfect for Minimalists
- 51 Stunning Watercolor Tattoo Ideas for Your Next Work of Body Art
Now watch someone get their first tattoo:
