Floral Tattoos and Their Meaning

Floral tattoos have been a continuously popular design for many years, as early as the days of sailors on their travels. They're popular with both men and women. The rose tattoo, in its many variations, has been a tattoo staple since the beginning. However, not many people know the meaning of the particular flower they have a tattoo of. Here's a breakdown of some of the more popular floral tattoos and their symbolism.

ROSE:

• RED ROSE: The red rose has long been linked to love, romance and passion. However, it can also represent loss and sacrifice.
• PINK ROSE: The pink rose is often associated with femininity, joy and gentleness. 
• YELLOW ROSE: The yellow rose is generally meant for friendship, happiness and matured love. In the past, it was associated with jealousy.
• WHITE ROSE: The white rose is associated with purity, honor and innocence. 
• BLACK ROSE: The black rose can mean rebellious love, secret passion, grief, mourning, death and pain.
• BURNING ROSE: The "burning" rose is often connected to intense passion, strength and rebirth.

LILLIES:

• WHITE LILY: Purity
• PINK LILY: Prosperity
• RED LILY: Passion
• ORANGE LILY: Pride
• YELLOW LILY: Determination

CHRYSANTHEMUM:

• In general, the chrysanthemum historically has been used to ward off evil spirits and danger.
• RED & PINK CHRYSANTHEMUM: Similar to the rose, it usually means love and passion.
• YELLOW CHRYSANTHEMUM: Unrequited love.
• WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUM: Truth and Pain.

LOTUS:

• WHITE LOTUS: Enlightenment, perfection and purity.
• BLUE LOTUS: Wisdom, intelligence and knowledge.
• RED LOTUS: Kindness, passion and love.
• PURPLE LOTUS: Mysticism and spirituality. 
• PINK LOTUS: Enlightenment. 
• BLACK LOTUS: Darkness, death and rebellion.

PEONY:

• WHITE PEONY: Beauty and shame.
• RED PEONY: Good luck.
• PINK PEONY: Love and passion.

POPPY:

• The poppy, in general, represents dreams, remembrance, love, sleep, imagination and sacrifice.

SUNFLOWER:

• The Sunflower, first and foremost, represents happiness, but it can also represent loyalty and adoration.

This list could just keep going, as there are so many more flowers to cover. 

We hope that this short list gives you a little insight on just how intricate the world is on the meanings behind the various flower tattoos.