A sweet pea tattoo can have several different meanings. For some, it represents gratitude or good luck and for others, it symbolizes their heritage. Sweet pea tattoos are also associated with departures and are the birth flower for the month of April.
This article will cover the different meanings of a sweet pea tattoo.
What is a Sweet Pea?
A sweet pea is a type of flower that is known for its sweet fragrance. It is a climbing plant that can grow as tall as six feet. In the wild, sweet pea flowers are purple, but cultivated sweet peas can be pink, white, or blue as well.
The Latin name for the sweet pea is Lathyrus odoratus, which references the flower’s scent. The sweet pea is a graceful, flowing plant with delicate, small petals. It is native to parts of Italy and has been cultivated in other areas of the world since the 1600s.
Sweet Pea Tattoos
Women tend to choose the sweet pea tattoo more often than men, which is typical for most flower tattoos. These tattoos are usually small to medium in size and can be done in black and gray or various colors. The leaves and stems of the plant are usually included along with the petals.
Some sweet pea tattoos include other images such as a butterfly, a bird, or other types of flowers.
Gratitude
Sweet peas are seen as a symbol of gratitude. They are sometimes given to friends, family, or neighbors as a way of saying thank you.
A sweet pea tattoo can be one way that person expresses their thankfulness. Many people have some type of gratitude practice, for example, keeping a journal of things that one is thankful for each day. Others use prayer as a way to communicate how they are grateful for things.
A tattoo is another way of showing gratitude in life. The permanent image can act as a reminder for the person to focus on the good things in their life and give thanks for them.
Saying Goodbye
In some cultures, sweet pea flowers were given when departing from a loved one’s home or saying goodbye to a friend. The giving of flowers was a way to show one’s appreciation for their hospitality or to offer good wishes to a person they will not see for some time.
A person may choose to get a sweet pea tattoo in recognition of a friend that they have had to say goodbye to. This might be because the friend moved away, passed on, or the friendship dissolved. The sweet pea can be a beautiful way to memorialize a friend through a tattoo.
Good Luck
The sweet pea tattoo can also be a good luck symbol. It is thought that the sweet pea flower is lucky and has the ability to attract people to it, likely because of its lovely fragrance. The bright colors of the flower attract birds and bees to it, which might be where the idea that it can also attract people came from.
In some countries, including France, the sweet pea flower is given at weddings for good luck. People believe that by offering sweet peas to the bride on her wedding day, this will bring her a happy marriage and a prosperous future.
For someone who is looking to bring luck into their life, they may choose the sweet pea flower as an image for a tattoo. Particularly if they are looking for luck in the romance department, the sweet pea is a suitable choice for a tattoo.
Birth Flower
For those who were born during the month of April, their birth flower is the sweet pea (along with the daisy). Although sweet peas don’t tend to bloom until July or August, they may start vining in April, which may explain why the flower is associated with this month.
Someone born in April might choose to get a tattoo of a sweet pea flower to represent their birthdate. In particular, people who are interested in astrology and horoscopes are more likely to get a tattoo that has something to do with when they were born.
Italian Heritage
The sweet pea is native to parts of Italy, including Sicily and southern parts of the country. Though they are grown in many parts of the world today, Italy is where they first originated.
A person who was born in southern Italy or Sicily might choose to represent their heritage with a tattoo of a sweet pea flower. This can be a beautiful way to show a connection to one’s country and ancestry.
Nature Lover
Sometimes a tattoo of a sweet pea does not have a great deal of symbolism behind it. The person may choose the flower simply because they enjoy the beauty of it. Someone who likes to garden might grow sweet peas at their home and choose to get the image tattooed.
A sweet pea flower tattoo can represent a person’s love of nature and the environment. This tattoo can be a way of showing their devotion to the natural world and maintaining a healthy world for future generations to come.
Term of Affection
The phrase sweet pea is commonly used as a term of endearment for a loved one, similar to dear or honey. A husband might call his wife sweet pea as a way of showing affection for her. She might choose this flower as a tattoo to remind herself of how much her husband cares for her.
If the husband has passed on, this tattoo could be even more meaningful as a way to remember the special nickname he had for her.
Sweet pea can also be a nickname that parents use for their child. A mother might opt to get a sweet pea tattoo to symbolize their love for their son or daughter. Again, if the child has passed away, this tattoo can be a memorial to them as it represents the special name they used.