Gladiolus Tattoo: 28 Unique Designs You'll Love

Are you looking for a graceful, beautiful and meaningful flower tattoo? You have landed on the right page! Here you will find out what makes the gladiolus flower so special, positive and popular as a tattoo element. The gladiolus stands out among the wide variety of flower tattoos that enthusiasts may have to go through in their selection process. Also, the gladiolus tattoo is not just for women, men can get it too. The symbolism of the flower is different for men and women, but it is strong and positive, making it a popular option for both genders.

According to the ideas of the ancient Romans, the leaves of gladiolus flowers resembled "little swords", having a tubular shape with small tips and pointed inflorescences. In fact, the ancient Roman sword with a short blade was called the Gladius; hence the name Gladiolus was coined for a similar flower. As a result, the gladiolus flower has a symbolic connection with integrity, strength, courage, and the like. It is not uncommon for this flower cultivar, with its distinct bladed stems, to also be referred to as the "sword lily". Variety of gladiolus flowers come in different hybrids and colors. Hence, the gladiolus is an ideal choice for a tattoo. As a hint, if you were born in August, you can definitely consider a gladiolus tattoo as the sword lily is a flower born in August.

In this article, I featured 28 of the most unique gladiolus tattoo design ideas popular on the internet. You are sure to fall in love with each of these designs, perfected by talented tattoo artists. To learn more about the artist and explore more of his wonderful work, the source of each design is listed below each picture. While you are enjoying the photos of these amazing gladiolus tattoo ideas, you can learn more about the flower through its symbolism detailed at the very end of this article.

Gladiolus Tattoo

Without further ado, here are 28 unique gladiolus tattoo ideas, each representing the positivity, strength, and integrity that are central to flower symbolism.

No. 1. gladiolus tattoo on arm

The red gladiolus flower is associated with love and passion. Regardless of color, one thing that all gladiolus tattoos represent is strength. This realistic, bright detail looks great on a woman's hand.

No. 2. Gladiolus tattoo on the back

This stunning Gladiolus back features an elegant upright shape in pink, black and grey. Pink gladioli symbolize tender, deep and maternal feelings and love for someone.

Number 3. Light pink, feminine gladiolus tattoo

We already established the meaning of the pink gladiolus flower in the previous design, but this lighter shade adds even more sensuality and femininity. It appears to be perfectly applied vertically on the side of the woman's ribs.

No. 4. Leg of a gladiolus in a watercolor style

This part of the leg looks appropriate on the front of the lower leg. Gives color x-ray, watercolor effect of lilac gladiolus flower. All gladiolus flowers symbolize strength. The purple variant of the flower also represents grace and a hint of royalty.

No. 5. Graceful black gladiolus flower tattoo

This charming simple tattoo looks impressive and elegant. Using lines of black ink, the tattoo artist brought every detail of the flowers to life. This particular design sits perfectly on one side of the upper back.

No. 6. Elegant black gladiolus tattoo on the arm

This is another elegant black gladiolus for the hand. The typical sword-shaped stem of the gladiolus symbolizes strength and integrity. There couldn't be a better place for this tattoo.

#7 Calf Placement, Colorful Gladiolus Tattoo

Pink is a popular color for the gladiolus flower. This large piece looks incredible when placed on the lower leg. Artists and plant lovers vouch for this design anytime! Here it seems that the flowers of the gladiolus are painted. This is a unique combination as such vibrant colors stand out on any skin tone.

No. 8. Colorful Pocket Watch Gladiolus Tattoo

The tattoo becomes a permanent part of your body. Therefore, it's all worth it if a complex but stunning design drawn by a professional takes time and causes some pain. Thus, this is the perfect tattoo idea. This is a realistic pocket watch and a tattoo in the form of a gladiolus flower, reminiscent of the transience of time. Its symbolism is to use your precious time wisely while remaining as strong as the lily of the sword.

No. 9. Woman with a tattoo on the head of a gladiolus flower

The gladiolus flower has beauty, charm, uniqueness and, above all, positive traits of strength and integrity. In the above tattoo design, the beautiful head of the female figure is replaced with a flower due to the similarity of the symbolism. This is a really unique tattoo idea that looks best on a man's ribs.

No. 10. Outstanding gladiolus flower tattoo

August is your birth month? If yes, then both Leo and Virgo can opt for this outstanding gladiolus tattoo design. You can choose a different color for the petals or leave this one to your liking. Each color represents a different meaning besides the general meaning of "strength".

No. 11. Tattoo gladiolus flower on the arm

Looking for a simple tattoo design for your arm? This black line idea is a wonderful choice. It is located in a conspicuous place, significant and will not cost much.

No. 12. Wolf and gladiolus flowers tattoo

The contrast of pink and gray is perfect here. In addition, it is attractive and incredibly relevant that the wolf is adorned with a garland of pink gladiolus flowers. The relevance lies in the general symbolism of the wolf and gladiolus flowers. Both symbolize strength and integrity. Pink gladiolus, in particular, represents tenderness, depth, and maternal feelings. Perhaps the she-wolf is a mother protecting her pack, especially her children, whom she loves. If you love wolves, pink and are looking for a unique floral design, bingo!

No. 13. Ribbon Quote with Dotted Flowers Gladiolus Tattoo

This beautiful black and gray dot tattoo is incredibly unique with an adorable life quote ribbon. The quote reads: "The most difficult thing in the world is to live in it." I'm sure many of us can understand this quote right now. However, we must remain courageous and strong to get through these difficult times. By the way, I really like the shading made with intricate dots!

#14 Small orange gladiolus tattoo on ankle

This gorgeous above ankle tattoo looks flawless. It is a graceful, elegant and noticeable tattoo, placed in the perfect place.

#15 Wet Gladiolus Tattoo Effect

The flowers on this tattoo look fresh enough to be picked. The talented tattoo artist did a great job using the white dots to make the flowers look wet. This is a delicate flower tattoo with thin black lines. The beauty of the gladiolus flower is shown with full justice through the work of art on the hand.

№ 16. Gladiolus flower tattoo on the forearm

The cold tones of this tattoo give it an amazing look. This piece has viewers who have appreciated this design in large numbers on the world wide web. This design is a small but perfect choice for the front of the forearm.

#17 Pretty, Gladiolus & Iris Tattoo

Gladiolus and iris flowers are cousins. This tattoo design looks amazing. It's small and perfectly positioned right under the cutout. Do you want to create an eternal bond with your cousin, friend or sibling? If so, why not make this tattoo a permanent reminder of that. The cool hues of the iris flower contrast beautifully with the light pink hues of the gladiolus flower.

No. 18. Illustrative gladiolus flower tattoo

This vibrant illustrative design makes the gladiolus flower tattoo unique. The best part is that he looks like he was painted and not tattooed. Only an experienced professional tattoo artist can handle this form of art with such perfection. If you're looking for a relatively large size gladiolus pattern that doesn't look complicated yet still looks beautiful, then this handguard is a great choice.

#19 Realistic Watercolor Rose And Gladiolus Tattoo

This part of the shoulder and arm is made up of blue and lavender gladiolus flowers contrasting with a large pink rose. Watercolor tattoo lovers will be thrilled to see this unique two tone hybrid idea. You can never go wrong when mixing types of flowers.

No. 20. Gladiolus tattoo on the collarbone

Simple, detailed, charming and elegant. This sums up this beautiful gladiolus tattoo. This is one of the best collarbone ideas I've come across in a while.

No. 21. The back of the gladiolus Bold Dutotone

If you're looking for a unique way to cover your entire back (top to bottom) with a tattoo that's not dense at the same time, this choice is a blessing! This female tattoo is a stunning display of beauty, symbolism and boldness, all in an extremely elegant and flawless form.

#22 Black & Gray Dotwork Gladiolus Tattoo

This black gladiolus tattoo covers the entire shoulder. It looks like filigree work, but you are looking at incredibly detailed black dotted gladiolus flowers!

No. 23. 3D gladiolus tattoo

The tattoo artist did a phenomenal job with the XNUMXD gladiolus flowers. This design looks perfect when placed on the side or back of the calf.

No. 24. Gladiolus flowers in the shade on the ankle

This is a fantastic and unique idea if you are looking for a beautiful and meaningful tattoo for your ankle. This type of tattoo is noticeable, beautiful and does not require much time or pain.

#25 Black and White Forearm Gladiolus Tattoo

This work speaks of professionalism. The dotwork, linework and shading of the artist are impeccable here. This design is a great idea for your forearm, calf, or side belly.

#26 Large Gladiolus Petal Tattoo Design

This tattoo shows an overhead view of fully bloomed gladiolus petals. This simple design looks amazing, especially if you're a gladiolus lover who loves spaced out elements and black and white designs.

No. 27. Gladiolus tattoo with a quote on the chest

This simple black and gray gladiolus flower is ideally located between the collarbone and upper chest. Gladiolus flowers are depicted horizontally with the quote "life is hard enough when you're here".

No. 28. Tattoo hourglass and gladiolus flowers

Use your precious time wisely. This is one of the things that the hourglass design suggests. In addition, the lavender and white bicolor gladiolus hybrid flowers signify "love, devotion and purity", in addition to their inherent "strength" symbolism common to all varieties of gladiolus. Other elements of the hourglass symbolize royalty, spirituality and destiny. In terms of technique, the tattoo artist did a wonderful job with black, grey, white and other colors to paint this flawless back.

Symbolism of the gladiolus flower (for women and men)

Gladiolus is a beautiful flower. Women choose gladiolus tattoos because of the style, grace, elegance, love and tenderness associated with them. For men, this meaning means "calm" and "self-confidence." In general, women get tattoos because of the aforementioned traits and also because of the beauty of the flower.

Both men and women prefer this tattoo for the inherent meanings of "integrity" and "strength" that are commonly associated with all gladiolus flowers. In addition, the gladiolus flower is unique, distinguished by its long, pointed shape, so he came up with the "Sword Lily" flower.

Before delving into the symbolism, you need to understand the origin of the name. The gladiolus flower gets its name from the Latin word "gladius", which means "sword". In ancient Roman times, warriors wore gladiolus art on their bodies for good luck and protection during battle. The flower's association with gladiators came from their desire to wear it around the neck due to its unique, pointed, sword-like shape and symbolism.

Gladiators were often given gladiolus flowers after winning a battle as a token of victory and positive progress. The symbolism of the flower intensified over time. In addition to being associated with victory, honesty, and strength, it was now also associated with character, honor, loyalty, and justice. In the Middle Ages, the gladiolus flower was also a kind of amulet for warriors. In addition, in the 18th century, it included features of femininity, tenderness and healing.

Symbolism of gladiolus flowers

Gladiolus flowers come in many colors and hybrids. However, below are the most common colors, the meanings of which are summarized as follows:

Red – Passion, love and erotica.

Purple Grace, honor and royalty.

White - Purity.

Yellow - Friendship, cheerfulness and positive.

Pink - Tender, deep, maternal and loving feelings.

Final thoughts

These were some of the best and amazing works of talented tattoo artists. You would notice that there is something for every tattoo enthusiast. From colorful gladiolus tattoos to simple black and gray designs, these unique ideas must have left you in awe when you pick one for a particular, unoccupied area of ​​your body. With such designs, there will never be a need to hide the tattoo.