Plant Badges Growing in Your Garden

[Kornkob]

My Google-Fu has failed me:

What reference would I use to determine the plant badge of Clan Gunn (sept Robinson, if it matters)?

[BoldHighlander]

My Google-Fu has failed me:

What reference would I use to determine the plant badge of Clan Gunn (sept Robinson, if it matters)?

Hi, everything I've located lists the Clan Gunn plant badge as Juniper.

[creagdhubh]

My wife and her family are Robertsons, descended from the clan located in southern Perthshire-traditonal lands of the Robertsons of Struan (current Chief). She, as well as her uncle, Kenneth Alan Robertson, wear bracken in their brooch and bonnet. She tells me that bracken is the accepted plant badge of the Clann Donnachaidh and is indeed officially recognized by the Court of the Lord Lyon.

Yours aye,

[Kornkob]

Hi, everything I've located lists the Clan Gunn plant badge as Juniper.

Thank you.


Now to find a Juniper tree in Wisconsin.

[BoldHighlander]

I hit the local nurseries today in search of the elusive summer blooming White Heather (to add to my winter blooming white heather).

Well, at the last stop I found a whole display of summer blooming heathers, including many white varieties!!

Along with three of those, I also picked up the traditional "purple" flowering heather (plant badge for the Clan Donald) to plant in another location of the property. Once I've got them all planted I'll be posting pictures.

[ThistleDown]

Vaccinium vitis idaea, the Red Whortleberry of the Clan Chattan. In recent years the Macphersons have taken to using white heather as their
badge mainly because it is easily found in garden centres, but the rest of the constituent clans continue with this member of the heath family commonly found all over the central Highlands. This example is growing in my garden in North Vancouver. Whortlerry is also known as mountain cranberry, lingonberry, cowberry and foxberry.



Rex

[BoldHighlander]

Nice Rex! Thanks for posting the photo.

[creagdhubh]

Rex,

Many Macphersons still do wear red whortleberry as a plant badge-it has always been "interchangeable" with white heather. I have often seen Cluny wear both red whortleberry and white heather at different events.

I have not worn red whortleberry as a plant badge yet, however I would like to the next time I am in Highland dress. Would a common nursery carry it? Where would you recommend me locating red whortleberry or perhaps an equilavent?

Kind regards,

[Ozark Ridge Rider]

Thank you.


Now to find a Juniper tree in Wisconsin.

Eastern Redcedar, Juniperus virginiana. Not a Scottish species, obviously, but grows everywhere in the midwest.