It is a native bush/tree of the Southeastern states--it's sensitive to cold down to zero degrees. Extremely cold temperatures can defoliate the leaves or the leaves will turn brown. The Asheville area is now a zone 7 compared to recent years of it being a zone 6. With a warmer winter, it may do just fine. You will hear this over and over--there are all kinds of microclimates in our area and even in our yards. If a plant/tree is in a protected area or it's near a rock, building or anything that absorbs heat during the day--it's going to be slightly warmer than another part of your yard that does not have these protected features. I tend to experiment lot--I have my own trial garden of plants etc. I'm constantly amazed at how tough some of my plants are--many of them are tougher than me. Dawn