Laura writes
This is a tattoo of the prairie grass Andropogon gerardii, or big blue stem. My masters research involved land disturbance, mycorrhizae and soil properties associated with this & two other common prairie plants.
Also notice that this tattoo is over a wicked scar from a car accident where I shattered my calcaneus. More than half of a prairie plant is below ground, keeping the plant alive during regular disturbances (such as fire or grazing). The extensive root system over my repaired heal symbolizes stability, strength and recovery. I had the obscure idea, but the artist (Kit) made my botanical mumblings a reality.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Carl, that’s an excellent looking stem. I’ve never seen one before but perhaps that stem can soon gain some popularity and some ground over common plant/flower tattoos like the cherry blossom and lotus.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
[...] Tattoos at Discover Magazine – I really like this big bluestem illustration, which shows the importance of the grasses’ web-like roots. Beautiful and [...]
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Having grown up with a backyard full of big bluestem, I freaking love this tattoo, both for the symbolism and for the depiction of the plant itself. The heel placement is already interesting even without the scar.
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:58 pm
That should say “big and little bluestem”, sorry….
June 23rd, 2010 at 10:04 am
Wow, I have the same fracture and scar, how badly did this ink here hurt? I am looking to put something over it as well.
March 8th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
Eric – lets be scar buddies! It hurt something awful on some parts, but fortunately the surgery made some parts numb and that part was wonderful. This area is prone to swelling anyway, so I was swollen and limpy for a few days after the tattoo. The hardest part was keeping that part of my foot exposed in chilly Chicago weather while it healed (no shoes with backs allowed).
November 10th, 2011 at 10:04 am
This is great! I’m researching revegetation of prairies and oldfields right now.