Yes — Strong Match
barrel cactus (zones 5-11) covers every zone Mississippi contains (7b-9b), so hardiness is not what limits it anywhere in the state.
Barrel Cactus in Mississippi — the short answer
Barrel Cactus in Mississippi: hardy in zones 5–11, full sun, against a state median of ~273 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 5-11
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Mississippi zones
- 7b-9b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Feb 17 - Mar 3 – Nov 21 - Nov 30
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 232 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Mississippi spans zones 7b-9b, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score barrel cactus against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
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Mississippi is not one climate
Mississippi’s winter-low ladder runs across 82 counties, from zone 7.5 in Benton County to zone 9 in Wilkinson County. That is 15°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between barrel cactus overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 82 counties runs 8–8.5 zones, with a median of 8.5 zones — a 1.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 82 Mississippi counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where in Mississippi Fits Best
Even within Mississippi's zones 7b-9b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for barrel cactus (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Barrel Cactus Needs
- USDA Zones: 5-11
- Frost-Free Days: 160+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 5 ft tall
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvest
- Drought tolerance: High
Mississippi Has
- USDA Zones: 7b-9b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 17 - Mar 3
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 21 - Nov 30
- Annual Rainfall: 50-65 inches
- Common Soils: Loess, Alluvial clay, Sandy loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 5-11)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Barrel Cactus in Mississippi
The frost window
Across Mississippi, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 21 and Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 263-day window you can count on — up to 286 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Winter standing
Mississippi runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for barrel cactus, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether barrel cactus is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Mississippi; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says barrel cactus survives winter here. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Barrel Cactus wants 160+ frost-free days; a typical Mississippi site sees ~273 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Barrel Cactus likes near-neutral soil (pH 7-8.5). That's the common-ground band across Mississippi's loess and alluvial clay — a soil test confirms it for your site. Drainage requirement: excessive (dry/moderately dry). A soil-survey lookup (NRCS SSURGO) flags whether your specific site matches.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Mississippi soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Barrel Cactus in Mississippi
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Mississippi growers also need to think about:
Extreme summer heat and humidity
Heavy alluvial clay in the Delta region
Frequent severe storms and flooding
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Mississippi grower, not just barrel cactus — is covered on the Mississippi growing guide.
Timing shifts within Mississippi
Barrel Cactus needs about 160 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Tishomingo County — Mississippi’s shortest season at 232 frost-free days — clears that by 72 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Mississippi. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Mississippi’s 82 counties the frost-free season runs from 232 days in Tishomingo County to 309 days in Harrison County — a spread of 77 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Mississippi county sees 273 frost-free days, leaving barrel cactus about 113 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Barrel Cactus's 160-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Barrel Cactus draws honeybees and native bees (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, barrel cactus can only work that bloom inside Mississippi's frost window — roughly 273 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 17 - Mar 3) and closing at the first (Nov 21 - Nov 30), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Mississippi Cooperative Extension
For Mississippi-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for barrel cactus, the canonical source is Mississippi State University Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Barrel Cactus native to Mississippi?
Barrel Cactus is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Mississippi. It can still earn a place in a Mississippi garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Mississippi growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Barrel Cactus in Mississippi
When can I plant Barrel Cactus in Mississippi?
Mississippi's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 17 and Mar 3, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 21 and Nov 30 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Barrel Cactus, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Mississippi and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Barrel Cactus grown in across Mississippi?
Mississippi spans USDA hardiness zones 7b-9b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Barrel Cactus carries a range of zones 5-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Mississippi site have?
A typical Mississippi site sees ~273 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Barrel Cactus needs 160+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Barrel Cactus native to Mississippi?
Barrel Cactus is native to parts of the Lower 48, but the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) does not document a native range in Mississippi. It can still earn a place in a Mississippi garden — the zone comparison above tells you whether it will thrive.
How should I amend the soil for Barrel Cactus in Mississippi?
Barrel Cactus prefers pH 7-8.5 and excessive (dry/moderately dry) drainage (USDA PLANTS). That sits in the common-ground band across Mississippi soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Barrel Cactus actually grow on my specific land in Mississippi?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores barrel cactus against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Mississippi
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores barrel cactus against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Mississippi barrel cactus averages can't show:
We read public map data around Mississippi — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Mississippi barrel cactus average
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Growing guides for barrel cactus
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