I tried a couple of these maybe six years ago. The ones I bought were perhaps six feet tall on close out from wally world. First years growth was unremarkable. Second year they became blighted and stems started cracking open and I feared they might die. Someone (G Man?) posted that the blight does not survive in the soil, only in the plant. I packed the cracks in the stems with mud and duck taped the mud in. It actually worked. I no longer own the property, having abandoned NY for Florida (where I am free to enjoy my 2A rights). But, I sometimes drive past the property and can see that they are now about 10 foot tall. If I were still in NY, I doubt I would buy more.