Trees have existed on Earth long before we or even our most distant ancestors have, so it should come as no surprise that the world's largest plants have taken on a symbolic or even mythic nature in the public consciousness. We've generally associated trees with life, vitality, nature and holiness, made obvious by icons such as the Tree of Life in many of the world's mythologies and religions and Yggdrasil, the World Tree of Norse myth. Trees have long been venerated as beings that demand our reverence and protection, and as such instill feelings in many such as stability and confidence as well as knowledge. These feelings also have literal justifications in modern day: Trees are crucial to the health of the planet's atmosphere.
With that, trees are prime fodder for tattoos of all shapes, sizes and styles — especially ones with a little more emotional and philosophical expression than most. It's rare that we see a tree tattoo that isn't looking to represent something particularly deep about the wearer or the world. People who opt for tree tattoos generally seem to be especially passionate — look, people don't tend to get tattoos of trees if they don't at least care about nature. So, we've found 20 different tattoos that feature trees within their ink, from traditional depictions of the Tree of Life to some that tend to bend our own expectations of the often mythical tree. Join us for a collection of both down to Earth and sky-high tattoos, all ready to inspire that next (or first) piece of ink.
A Tree at the Center of the Universe
This number from a studio known as Bali Tattoo and an artist known as Bacht certainly starts this list off on a heady note. Not only are we loving the brilliant line and dot art, but the symbolism here is incredibly interesting.
A Tree That's as Above so Below
It takes courage and conviction to go through with a tattoo placed just above someone's hand. Of course, it helps when that ink looks as gorgeous as this, courtesy of a Brazilian artist known only as Dimi. We love the Tree of Life inspiration here, as well as thick, black line work and illustration.
A Classic Style Campfire
We've always had a soft spot for classic, American-style tattoos, and this is one of the most interesting and unique of the sort that we've seen. The color and shading within the campfire's flames and the full moon are excellently done, and the wispy, shadowy nature of the background pine trees adds incredible depth to an otherwise flat piece.
A Beautiful Tree of Life
We knew it wouldn't be long before we'd have to include a depiction of the Tree of Life that is widely thought to be of ancient Iranian origin. Naturally, our first take on this concept is overwhelmingly positive, showing off incredible lining and shading work.
A Tree House of Another Sort
This is an easily admirable piece by a Turkish artist that brilliantly renders a bird building its nest within a tree with sparse branches. The placement of this tattoo is particularly interesting, and we appreciate the subtle splashes of color within each leaf — a clever touch.
A Tree Dripping with Color
We've become suckers for watercolor tattoos — they're just such a brilliant design and example of artistry. This one takes both of those reasons for our love of watercolor tattoos to a new level, masterfully simulating dripping colors from a tree otherwise sparse with leaves and branches. Thanks to Cole Philp-Aird in Brighton, England, for this one.
A Beautiful Rendition of Mother Earth
This piece by Gas Tatovering in Lima, Peru, is a stunning depiction of the mythological Mother Earth as the base of a tree in rebirth. The branches sprouting from Mother Earth's back are leafless, whereas her headdress and hands are teeming with life, suggesting a return for the mythic figure. What a beautiful piece of line and color work.
A Tree of Life in Watercolor
Here's another excellent example of watercolor tattoo technique, but used within a depiction of the iconic Tree of Life design. This piece was done by the Tattoo Gallery of Ocala in Florida, and beautifully encompasses the Tree of Life in a snow globe of sorts in watercolor.
A Tree of Cosmic Proportions
There is apparently a lot of room for artistic freedom when it comes to tree tattoos — here is a fine example. Inked by an artist in Seoul, South Korea, this tree contains a chunk of outer space inside, perhaps a nebula, beneath a cold-looking moon. This tattoo is just crammed with inspiration.
A Tree Eclipsed
This here is a simply brilliant design of line work inked by Silver Ant Tattoo in Hanoi, Vietnam. The eclipse illuminates the dead tree in an interesting way, erasing the tree's divots in its bark. We're not sure of the message here, if any, but we're nevertheless intrigued by the design.
A Tree's Roots Can Be Infinite
We're loving this tattoo's design and what it seems to represent: The trees and other flora of this world are the true foundation of the planet. Maybe we're off our rocker with this interpretation, but Connie Gabbert's ink work is nevertheless inspiring.
A Tree in Hand
We here absolutely love hand and finger tattoos. There's something both subtle and brazen about them in terms of expression, and this one by artist Matt Anderson in Woodlake, California, is another excellent and alluring representation of the trend.
An Iconic Tree of Life
This tattoo captures the classic, iconic Tree of Life symbol in a brilliant back piece that captures the logo so well. The line work is undoubtedly expertly done here by tattooist Oda Romero in Lima, Peru. Just look at those leaves and flowers at the tips of the branches.
Two Interwoven Trees
This is a certainly unique take on the tree tattoo concept, depicting two interwoven trees via a single branch. The flowers on the end of each branch look absolutely gorgeous, making for a wonderful combination of line and color work by San Diego artist Briana Robinson.
A Simple, Subtle and Beautiful Palm Tree
The majority of the tree tattoos on this list depict more iconic fir, pine and other trees often found in temperate zones of the world. It's about time we see one depicting a more tropical tree, as inked here beautifully by Deepak Vaishnav in Rajasthan, India.
An Ornamental Tree
This tattoo features interesting blending of elements from the ornamental lotus flower with the Tree of Life iconography. Both the line work here and the raised, red and orange bark of the tree itself are beautifully executed, making for yet another inspiring piece of ink.
The Cosmic Tree of Life
We're loving the watercolor, cosmic elements of this take on the otherwise potentially trite Tree of Life tattoo design. The stars and nebulae just beneath the tree's branches and leaves makes for an inspiring interpretation that all creation lives beneath the Tree of Life. Thanks to Czech-based LiveAge Studio for this incredible ink work.
A Tree Giving Life to the Stars
This just may be our favorite of all on this list for just what an original take it is on the classic tree tattoo. Colombian artist Cata Reyes does an absolutely incredible job of realizing this vision, with incredible blending colors of nebulae crashing into one another dotted by stars — simply beautiful.
A Tree as Symbolism
This tattoo may be on the simple side, but we just can't deny some gorgeous line and dot work — all capped by a diamond container that's all the rage in modern tattoos. Artist Willian Sousa of Brazil should be commended for making an otherwise simplistic tattoo appear inspiring and attractive.
A Classically Styled Palm Tree
For those seeking something that hearkens back to the old school style of tattoos, and wants to show their love of the beach, here's a perfect piece of ink. Done by artist Marilyn Arias based in Fort Meyers, Florida, the color, shading and line work are spot on.
