Outlander Plants

I have been a fan of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series of books for years. Like many of you, I feel as though I know Claire, Jamie and the array of characters I've met by reading thousands of pages about their lives and adventures. I particularly identify with Claire because I was once a young nursing student, working in various hospitals and nursing homes, until I decided on a different career.

I have also had a life-long fascination with plants and an interest in herbal remedies. Perhaps my affinity for botanical medicine has been, in its own way, a sort of time traveler, passing through the genes, through the generations, from my 4th great-grandmother. Grandma Maggie was a midwife and what was called a "yarb woman" - yarb being an old pronunciation of the word "herb." She was the woman that folks in her area called on when a baby was ready to be born or someone was sick.

Writing about plants featured in the Outlander novels has been a joy. It combines my love of plants, medicine, and the unexpected discoveries that come from doing research. I hope you find something here that interests you, too.

The Plant List

Marie McKinsey

May 1, 20163 min read

Cascara Might Not Kill You, But...

You may remember this exchange between Master Raymond and Claire at his apothecary shop, in which he explains his clever solution for the pr

Variegated Holly: Plant Badge of the Clan MacKenzie

Marie McKinsey

Sep 25, 20153 min read

Variegated Holly: Plant Badge of the Clan MacKenzie

Clan MacKenzie symbols: The crest with the clan motto; a MacKenzie tartan in the background; and sprigs of variegated holly, the clan plan

Marie McKinsey

Sep 17, 20153 min read

It's All About YEW

Besides this scene in DIA, yews have another Outlander connection: the European yew is the plant badge of the Clan Fraser. It is said that m

Marie McKinsey

Apr 25, 20155 min read

This Bud's For You - Cannabis

So what IS the difference between hemp and ganja (or marijuana)? Botanically, they are the same plant. Both are cultivars of Cannabis sativ

Black Hellebores and A Little Girl's Tears

Marie McKinsey

Jan 24, 20154 min read

Black Hellebores and A Little Girl's Tears

I love hellebores. I have been growing them for years. They are highly prized in the gardening community for their exotic flowers and the fa

Marie McKinsey

Oct 11, 20143 min read

Grinding Corn

When Dougal MacKenzie told Claire in The Wedding episode of Outlander that he was tickled by the thought of grinding her corn, the remark pr

Barley the Beverage Grain: beer, wine and whisky

Marie McKinsey

Oct 5, 20148 min read

Barley the Beverage Grain: beer, wine and whisky

Two of the goals of the ancient alchemists were: 1) to turn common metals into gold, and 2) to create an "elixir of life, that would confer

Marie McKinsey

Sep 15, 20144 min read

Rowan: The Druid's Tree

Rowan, or "Luis" in Gaelic, is both a tree and the name of the second character in the Celtic Ogham Tree Alphabet.

Bear McCreary: The Man Behind the Outlander Music

Marie McKinsey

Sep 7, 20142 min read

Bear McCreary: The Man Behind the Outlander Music

I can't imagine a composer more suited to creating the score for the Outlander TV series than Bear McCreary. Growing up, he attended the Sco

Marie McKinsey

Sep 5, 20145 min read

Heathers & Heaths

Next to the thistle, heather is probably the plant most associated with Scotland. Much of the color in the moorland landscape is from the fl

Marie McKinsey

Aug 28, 20144 min read

Right Plants, Wrong Season?

One of the differences between Outlander - the Book and Outlander - the TV series is the time of year the story begins. In the book, Claire

Marie McKinsey

Aug 24, 20143 min read

A Druid's Herbal

I have always been curious about the Druids. Much of what is "known" about them is mere speculation because their most sacred rituals and

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