Dandelion Tattoo Meaning (with Images) - Symbol Sage (2024)

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The dandelion is an extremely colorful, yet simple and humble plant. It’s an ‘unwanted’ weed that grows in the wild and can handle even the worst conditions. Although an incredibly simple flower, the dandelion is a popular tattoo choice that many choose for emotional and spiritual reasons.

Dandelions can be interpreted in many ways. Check out our list of interesting and unique dandelion tattoo designs and what they mean in different cultures throughout the globe.

What Do Dandelion Tattoos Mean?

A dandelion tattoo can have many meanings, and can be overt or subtle in meaning. Here are some of the most well-known meanings behind the dandelion tattoo.

Wishes and Dreams for a Brighter Future

Dandelion tattoos are often associated with hope and the dreams that come true. This is because of the superstition that blowing on dandelion fluff with your eyes closed will make the wish come true. The dandelion head is a reminder of your blessings and what is yet to come. If someone is wearing a dandelion tattoo, it’s possible that it represents the fact that the person’s dreams have already become a reality or that they are yet to come true.

Life and Second Chances

Dandelions are plain, unimpressive plants with incredibly strong roots that make them almost impossible to remove. When the dandelion goes to seed, it becomes beautiful, white and fluffy and stands tall above the weeds and grass. However, when a strong wind blows, its beauty is gone and its seeds are scattered everywhere.

This flower shows that life is fragile and tenacious and it reminds us that we have only one chance to live it well. Therefore, dandelion tattoos are beautiful and excellent reminders to appreciate and enjoy every minute of your life.

Childhood and Joy

If you remember blowing dandelion fluff as a child, you probably know the magical feeling as you watch the seeds fly away through the air. As children, and even adults, we are drawn to its distinctive look and are excited by watching how the fluff flies. This is why dandelions often serve as a visual remind of childhood and joy. Some people choose to wear dandelion tattoos to remind themselves of the childhood and the joy they experienced during that time in their lives.

Healing

Although dandelions look simple, they’re considered as symbols of healing. Their leaves have been used for their healing powers for centuries and can cure pains and illnesses. As a flower symbol, the dandelion signifies emotional healing.

The Sun

Dandelions are often regarded as symbols of the sun, the obvious reason being their round shape and bright yellow color. They grow in warm, sunny conditions and a bouquet of them in your home will bring the sunshine in even when it’s raining outside.

Survival

Dandelions are humble and strong flowers that can survive in almost any condition which is why they represent survival and overcoming all obstacles in life. When placed in your home, they’re pleasant reminders about the importance of fighting against the problems life has to offer. Many people consider these pretty flowers as examples of how the simplest and most humble people can survive through great hardships and come out victorious at the end.

Types of Dandelion Tattoos

The dandelion tattoo is one of the most unique and interesting tattoo designs, typically chosen by women. Here are some of the most popular dandelion tattoo ideas.

Blowing Dandelion Tattoo

This is probably the most common dandelion tattoo design. The symbolism of this tattoo is usually very personal and not obvious as soon as you look at it. For some, it’s a symbol of bringing luck and granting wishes that comes from the age-old superstition – if you blow a dandelion while making a wish, your wish will come true. Some view this design as a symbol of mindfulness and a reminder to live in the moment.

Watercolor Dandelion Tattoo

This tattoo has splashes of bright colors that make it more fluid and vibrant than designs done in black ink. They make for a delicate, contemporary tattoo. Sometimes, tattoo artists add black outlines to watercolor tattoos, adding definition to the image. Many wearers of this tattoo prefer to have the seeds outlined and the stem inked in black with colors in the background.

Dandelion Fluff Birds

This is a popular variation of the blowing dandelion tattoo, with the seeds being blown away, turning into tiny birds (usually swallows). This tattoo usually shows off the imagination, creativity and dreaminess of the wear. There’s also an idea that the seeds symbolize dreams and hopes. As they turn into birds, they can fly farther and achieve much more than they would as seeds.

Blowing Dandelion With Quote

For some people, the blowing dandelion is a symbol of hope and represents overcoming difficulties and obstacles in life. Sometimes, they add a meaningful quote to their dandelion tattoos to emphasise and express its meaning. Because the dandelion is delicate and light, the quote is usually written in an equally light font to match and can be placed anywhere near the tattoo. Some have it placed along the stem of the flower.

Small Dandelion Tattoo

Since dandelions are easy to recognize and have a simple structure, there’s usually no need to include a lot of details in the tattoo designs. This is why they’re perfect for simple, small tattoos which include just a black, thin outline. Small dandelion tattoos are easy to place practically anywhere on the body and if you want the seeds blowing away, it’s still possible to fit it on a small area of the skin.

Blooming Dandelion Tattoo

In full bloom, dandelions represent joy and happiness. This is mostly because of their color. Yellow typically symbolizes either friendship or joy or both. The blooming dandelion tattoo also symbolizes surviving through a difficult time, going through the healing process or overcoming one’s difficulties. This meaning possibly stems from the fact that dandelions are extremely resilient flowers that spread easily and can survive on their own.

Wrist Dandelion Tattoos

Dandelion tattoos on the wrists has become a highly popular trend over the years. The design is a single image spread over both wrists and then split into two. The full dandelion tattoo is usually on one wrist, while a few of the seeds are on the other wrist, made to look like they’re blowing away. When both wrists are held together, the tattoos form one beautifully image but they also look great as separate tattoos and still make sense since the seeds have the same symbolism as the full flower.

Single Seed Dandelion Tattoo

If you want an extremely simple dandelion tattoo, you might like to consider getting one of a single dandelion seed. It will have the same significance and meaning as a full dandelion tattoo but will be a lot less obvious. It’s also a lot easier to fit in the smallest space like on your ear or your finger.

Symbolism of the Dandelion Around the World

The dandelion has been a popular flower with various symbolisms in different cultures, folklore and legends throughout history. Native to Europe, dandelions were brought over to the New World where they became ubiquitous and began to spread throughout the continent. Today, the dandelion has different meanings and is used for various purposes in different cultures.

In North America, China and Mexico, dandelions are commonly used as folk remedies because of their medicinal properties. They have also been used as food, making them a highly useful flower. In some cultures, these flowers are believed to bring good luck when woven into a bride’s wedding bouquet. Some believed that when the seeds of the dandelion blow in the wind, they carry affections and thoughts to love ones.

In England during the Medieval times, people used dandelions to predict whether or not a child would one day be rich. When held under the child’s chin, a golden glow would indicate that the child would be rich.

Some people today, still believe that rubbing themselves with dandelions will bring them good luck and they plant the flower in their gardens. It’s also said that this flower has the power to increase a person’s psychic abilities and acts as a passage that allows for communication with the spirits.

Celebrities with Dandelion Tattoos

Although dandelion tattoos are popular in the tattoo community, there aren’t many celebrities who wear them since most prefer more complex designs. However, there are those who prefer the simplicity of the dandelion tattoo.

• Lilly Collins shows off her new dandelion tattoo which she says was fairytale-inspired. The tattoo on her left side, shows a crescent moon with a little fairy sitting in it, holding a dandelion and blowing its seeds in the wind.
• Jenna Ushkowitz sports a small blowing dandelion tattoo on her left shoulder blade. The actress hasn’t revealed the meaning of the tattoo, however, so it remains a mystery.

In Brief

Most women tend to wear the dandelion tattoo as a way of displaying their playful nature and youthfulness, as well as hopes and wishes. Some men choose to wear this tattoo for emotional reasons, but it’s much more popular as a tattoo choice among women than it is among men.