20 Floral Tattoos To Celebrate New Beginnings In Your Life

Jul 26, 2023

Floral tattoos are some of the most popular in the world. In fact, flowers are one of the biggest constants when it comes to people getting inked. "Trends come and go but flowers are here to stay. They are not only beautiful but hold so much symbolism for people who get them," tattoo artist Barry Hua explained to Insider. "Flowers have been tattooed for so long and in so many types of styles. It's always constantly evolving but the concept, for the most part, stays the same."

The reason why? Well, that's probably because flowers have so many different ways of being interpreted. Not only that, but pretty much everyone has a favorite type of flower and can relate to them on a deeper level depending on what they stand for. That's why so many people who want to celebrate a new beginning with some permanent ink opt for flowers or plant life, but what exactly is the right design to represent your fresh start? Women.com has you covered with some of our very favorite floral tattoos and what they could mean for you.

As we know, the sunflower is always looking for the sun, and this ink takes that concept one step further. Here, we can see the sunflower has broken out of the artificial environment of the lightbulb to find the true natural sunlight, demonstrating how we sometimes need to free ourselves from situations that feel fake or just not for us in order to find our true purpose.

We particularly adore the extra addition of the bees around the petals, which could represent the notion of attracting what's meant for you as soon as you get into the environment you're destined for.

The placement of this rose tattoo is what makes it super unique. We love the somewhat delicate design of the two roses together just above the ankle (bonus points for the chic shoes, too) and, by keeping it in black and white, it adds a little taste of mystery to the ink.

The owner of this design didn't share why they opted for it when they posted it to social media, but there are a number of different reasons someone may opt for roses. According to Tattoodoo, this very traditional flower often represents love and passion, which would make it the perfect tattoo if you're entering into a new relationship or if you're learning to love yourself more.

How stunning is this collection of flowers? This traditionally feminine and delicate design combines a number of diverse wildflowers with long stems, creating a unique bouquet with soft yet vibrant colors. Though there are a bunch of reasons someone may get wildflower tattoos (including just being a fan of how they look), Tattoo SEO reported that they can represent having a wild and complex personality.

Wild flowers can grow tall in the most unexpected of places without much (if any) tending, making them relatable to so many people. That's why it's such a great tattoo idea if you want to represent the feeling of moving somewhere new, or thriving on your own in an unfamiliar environment.

If you're looking for something bright and bold, this gorgeous lily tattoo could be the one for you. The owner opted for hot and light pink petals (with some amazing shade blending, by the way) and even incorporated two bugs for a fun yet organically natural twist.

Per Tatt Mag, inking a lily onto your body can be a nod to innocence, purity, and beauty, while for many other people, it can also have religious connotations. In Christianity, the lily represents the Virgin Mary, which could make it ideal for someone embarking on a new religion or for those opting to renew their faith through things like baptism.

Tattoo artist @jenpoteet explained on Instagram that this vine tattoo had special meaning for its owner, who was experiencing a rough time when they hit the tattoo studio. They didn't offer a specific meaning, but we know floral vines are able to continue to grow even in the harshest of environments, making it the ideal kind of representation for those looking to keep on keeping on, even when times seem the most dark.

This specific ink was actually a cover-up inking. It ends on the left-hand ring finger to hide a former ring tattoo, representing moving on from a relationship that was no longer serving them.

What could better represent growth and new beginnings than a tattoo reminder to make sure you always water your own flowers? This captivating ink takes that concept literally by showing the silhouette of a woman entirely made out of flowers pouring water over herself from a watering can with a heart on it. This ink could offer a stark reminder to those who feel they've put themselves last for too long to always remember to practice self-care — no matter what the cost.

Hibiscus, also known as mugunghwa, is the national flower of South Korea. That gives this ink an extra special meaning for its owner, but there are a number of ways this can be used as a celebration of a new beginning. If you're moving to a new country, you may want to get a tattoo of a flower that represents that new place. Equally, though, it could be a sweet nod to the place you were born to remind you to keep moving forward, while always remembering where you came from.

If you want to get literal with a floral tattoo honoring a new beginning, this design is perfect. It offers a very obvious nod to the concept of growth by literally writing the word across the skin in cursive, though the true beauty is in how the word blossoms into a tangled rose. As we know, the rose as a flower represents love, passion, and romance, which in this case, should be all words that describe how you feel about yourself as you face a new time in your life.

Sunflowers are an ideal flower to get inked on your body when you're ready to move on from a time in your life when you didn't feel your happiest. Of course, sunflowers are called just that because they grow tall to get as much light as possible, making them the perfect metaphor for those ready to reach for the sunshine once again. This particular ink was confirmed to be a post-divorce tattoo, so we think the strategic placement of having it on their shoulder represents the concept of knowing you'll always be the one standing beside yourself, even in the darkest of times.

This gorgeous tattoo design shows the outline of a woman looking over her shoulder as a range of different flowers grow from her body above the words "Still growing." We can see some of the flowers growing even taller than her body, which we feel demonstrates the way in which we're often far more powerful than even we could imagine. There is also a lot of significance in the positioning of the body (which is left open to represent the idea of there being no boundaries in your personal growth).

Tattoo artist @jadel0ve_ captioned the Instagram upload, "One day you will look back and see that all along, YOU WERE BLOOMING."

If you prefer your floral designs a little more cutesy, we'd recommend going the cartoon route. This super fun and colorful ink combines a number of different flowers, including daisies, but with an animated twist. This style brings out the fun and childlike wonder many of us still associate with flowers, though this particular tattoo also holds extra special meaning for its owner. Tattoo artist @clarasugarcubetattoo confirmed on Instagram that it was actually based on the client's bridal bouquet. What a great way to commemorate such a big new beginning in your life!

This tattoo starts with a heart that, at first glance, appears to be broken, until we see what's actually growing out of the jagged rip is something akin to an alternative, beautiful flower. We think that demonstrates how, all too often, something amazing can come out of something that once seemed so hurtful. This design, which tattoo artist Alyssa LPika confirmed on Instagram was created from the client's own drawing, also features a large eye in the center of the flower. The eye is looking firmly upwards, perfectly representing how important it is to keep on looking forward toward that next incredible opportunity.

Many people opt for dandelion tattoos because of the dandelion's meaningful associations. The flower represents the idea of rebirth and resilience, according to Custom Tattoo Design, while they can also be used to signify the idea of moving on from the past and being free. That's because the dandelion loses its seeds in the wind, but they blow to new locations and begin to grow there. That makes it the ideal floral design for those looking to move on and memorialize a new beginning.

This stunning ink was posted to Instagram by tattoo artist Big Beauty Judy alongside the caption "growin' through it" and we literally can't think of a better way to put it. The intricate fine line tattoo showed the outline of a woman's head and neck with large flowers bursting from the top of her head, creating a stunning representation for the concept of moving past a dark time to find yourself in full bloom.

Healing is all about moving on and finding out what works for you, which is why this floral design is ideal for someone looking to move on from a tough spot. Tattoo artist Molly Freeman explained on Instagram this bouquet is made to symbolize just that, with each flower representing healing. We think each could actually illustrate a different form of healing, whether it be spending time with friends and family, practicing self-care, or taking care of your body by getting in some movement and eating healthy. The placement also holds some significance, as it speaks to the steady determination used every time you put one foot in front of the other.

We can't get enough of the delicate line work on this floral tattoo, which is just oh-so-gorgeous. This stunning tattoo was custom designed for the client by tattoo artist @jarhn_tattoos, and we absolutely love the extra touch of the small, intricate, sparkle designs above the cluster of flowers. This also offers a great example of how you can combine a number of your favorite flowers (here we have lilies, plum flowers, and camellias) to create something that's uniquely you.

To commemorate a new beginning, you may want to choose flowers that each represent a certain time in your life, but combine them with a flower representing moving forward to entwine the old and the new.

Sometimes, breaking free of a familiar situation can be the hardest thing in the world to do, but this expressive ink is ideal for representing why sometimes it's the most important thing in the world. Here, we see a woman (who's been through a lot as she's covered in XL band-aids) dressing after finally freeing herself from the restrictiveness of an unopened flower, realizing she's finally free.

In a sweet message for their client, tattoo artist @trangetidestattoo wrote in the caption on Instagram, "may you keep blooming and growing, your passions and energy is inspiring."

Even though it's the most important thing you can ever do, sometimes being yourself is one of the hardest things possible. That's why we're so touched by this tattoo design, which represents someone's plight to be themselves and live truthfully as a transgender person.

It shows a person being given new life by bursting out of the center of a fully grown flower, emerging as the person they've always felt they are on the inside and ready to live as their true self.

It's not for the faint-hearted because this is a pretty large inking, but this tattoo is a stunning visual representation of growth that shows just how long a journey it can be for some people — but that doesn't mean you should ever give up. This design stretches all the way up from the owner's foot to their upper thigh, and the tattoo artist, Jantzen Glenn, posted it on Instagram with a poignant message. "Maybe the journey isn't so much as becoming anything. Maybe it's un-becoming everything that isn't really you. So you can become who you were meant to be [in] the first place," they wrote.

Showing a rose in various states of bloom, this tattoo is a great representation of how growth is a transition and it doesn't happen overnight. "Change is beautiful. Growth is beautiful," tattoo shop Velvet Lotus Tattoo poignantly captioned the upload on Instagram.

For those starting something, a new life, moving on from a difficult time, or continuing to improve themselves, it's an ideal design that shows how important it is to carry on even if you feel like finding your happiness and true purpose is taking a little longer than you'd hoped.