He is growing in northern Illinois. We had a killing freeze the night of May 5 th. Didnt bother the new leaves at all. If the flowers have just opened up rain doesn't bother them. If they have been pollinated they shatter. No protection for the winter and he survived 21 straight days of 0 F and no snow cover. H has done good withwhat heat and humidity we have. He blooms once for 3 to four weeks. I find him very fragrent. He takes time to establish, before a lot of blooms. Mine was hee three years before the first bloom. Since he is covered with the neatest little 1and 1/4 inwide blooms that the bees adore. Ive noticed if the buds haven't opened and we get aninch and a half of rain the flowers when they open can reachover two inches. Thorny thorny. I clean out around him in the spring and fall and usually end up with a half dozen stuck in my hands ./I have an acid soil and eh gets shaded by oaks walnuts and chokecherry..He likes it here because he is colonizing away. I just love him