Island of Misfit Plants
The Plant Venue sits in the industrial Fondren Warehouse District of Jackson, Mississippi. Once a long-abandoned pipe plant with a collapsed roof and boarded-up doors, the building has been brought back to life as a modern event venue with an intentional landscape design.
The Plant in Fondren Warehouse District
Located among legacy businesses like Jackson Bolt & Screw and Scanlon-Taylor Millwork, the site now hosts a mix of private and public events from weddings and festivals to nonprofit gatherings. The preserved industrial structure, including its original concrete beams and sawtooth roof, is part of what makes the space unique. But the surrounding plant life also sets it apart in more than one way.
The Courtyard at The Plant
The Plant’s landscape approach is different by design. While we prioritize native plantings, we’ve also made space for certain invasive and subtropical species to grow. These plants wouldn’t typically be welcome in managed natural environments or gardens, but here in the industrial park surrounded by pavement, they offer shade, texture, and greenery in an otherwise barren zone.
A signature family of wisteria vines grows up and over into The Courtyard, gradually forming an overhead canopy with annual bloom seasons. Showcase beds highlight plants like Virginia creeper, English ivy, palmettos, and horsetail among other natives. Indoors, larger-than-life monstera and philodendron spill over from the top of a repurposed shipping container, now used as a catering bar.
The site also includes sustainable features integrated into the original structure. Stormwater from the sawtooth roof is directed through visible pipes into a cistern, where it’s reused to water plants throughout the venue. Rainwater also supports the site's constructed wetland and pond system. Around the pond, native species like cypress, black willow, American sycamore, cattails, and American lotus are thriving, along with a mix of native grasses and wildflowers. This area supports local wildlife, helps cool the site, and manages runoff - reducing the urban heat island effect common in industrial areas.
Part of what makes The Plant Venue special is how the landscape shifts with the seasons. In spring, early blooms from vines and wildflowers mark the start of a new cycle. By summer, the site is fully green with lush, subtropical growth. In fall, native grasses and trees take on their final colors before winter dormancy sets in. The plant life fills the space and continues to create a different experience for everyone who visits.
Guests are always surprised to learn how many of these plants grow right here in the city. If you're visiting The Plant soon, take a moment to explore and notice the landscape, we promise it changes every time.
