World's First Cactus Plantation, world record in Edwards, Mississippi

March 12, 2024

Edwards, Mississippi, United States--A large cactus plantation located in Edwards, Mississippi a few miles off I-20, (owner John Thomas) filled several greenhouses with over 3,500 varieties of cacti, succulents, colorful bromeliads, daylilies, tropical foliage and seasonal plants; it set the world record for being the World's First Cactus Plantation, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"I arrived before the afternoon heat had set in and got the grand tour of the place from the owner, John. At one point, he had ten greenhouses full of many different varieties of cacti. In the heyday of the cactus plantation, he used to supply all of the local grocery stores, Kroger, and Wal-Mart with cacti," the Thimblepress says.

"Currently, he only had two remaining full of cacti and only delivered to a couple stores. One greenhouse was full of Bromeliads, John mentioned he was eager to sell them all for a discounted price, he had so many!

"After showing me around the greenhouses, we took a stroll to the pond in the back of the property. John pulled out some bread and we sat for a moment to feed the fishies and cool down in the shade. We spent the morning chatting about gardening and propagating succulents. Sadly, the Cactus Plantation closed shortly after my visit there, and I’m so happy I got to visit while it was still up and running!"

"Everybody has their dream and this was the Thomas' when they bought it 18 years ago. A series of green houses and a gimmick of sorts. The signs on the interstate leading up to Edwards promote this as the worlds only cactus plantation. And in this part of the world, cactus is pretty much an automatic plant. Set it out and it takes care of itself. But here lately, John has had to drag out the water hose its been so dry," the WLBT says.

(John Thomas) "On the outdoor cactus, it causes us to water them when we didn't have to other wise. The Good Lord takes care of watering normally. But once we get a real drought going like we're going into now, we do have to do a little bit of watering on the out door cactus."

"John sort of inherited cactus when the bought the cactus plantation. Cactus was the love of the first owner, Herb Phillips. John's passion lies in a more exotic plant."

"You’d expect to find The World’s Only Cactus Plantation somewhere in the Mojave or the Sonora. At the very least, it should be somewhere in the southwest or in Mexico. But you won’t find it there," the businesstravellogue.com says.

"It’s located in Edwards, Mississippi a few miles off I-20. After seeing the billboards several times, I decided I had to check it out. I expected a sprawling field with cacti like those shown in Wiley Coyote cartoons. Not quite. The plantation consists of several greenhouses growing over 3000 types of cacti.

"They even had a bargain table. I walked away with two bromeliads for the whopping price of $10.00. Sadly, I can’t even seem to keep a cactus alive and the bromeliads are no more."

"Cactus Plantation: 1088 Champion Hill Road, Edwards, MS 39066 (601)852-2705.

"The world's only cactus plantation fills several greenhouses with over 3,500 varieties of cacti, succulents, colorful bromeliads, daylilies, tropical foliage and seasonal plants," the I Love Gardens says.

"The city of Edwards is home to the world’s only cactus plantation, which includes more than 3,000 varieties of cacti," the Only In Your State says."

"The plantation itself has obviously seenImage better days, but remains a unique and interesting place to visit. Once sporting fields of cacti and other odd plants (at least “odd” by Mississippi standards), the plantation is now little more than a few home-made greenhouses behind an old plantation home inhabited by a friendly widower named John," the quinnrossionline.com says.

"Though the house and the plantation grounds were both beautiful and interesting, it is the owner, John, who is really the star. At 85 years old, and still getting around perfectly fine when we met him in February of 2013, John was incredibly lucid for his age, and showed my wife and I a type of hospitality that is basically extinct these days. He lives by himself in a beautiful, somewhat run down, old plantation home that displays a graceful, old-southern charm mirroring John’s own character.

"Upon our arrival to the plantation and meeting old John, my wife inquired about a powder room. Incredibly, John invited us, two complete strangers, into his home. He freshened up the place for her, and while we waited, John took me on a tour of his home. We visited a very touching shrine he had set-up to honor his late wife. He also showed us pictures of his family and grandchildren scattered throughout the house."