 However, its performance in the southern United States has not impressed, and it was dismissed, along with its Morton stablemates and , as "ugly" by Michael Dirr, Professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia , on account of its "wild" growth and splaying branches.Although resistant to Dutch elm disease in the US, remains very susceptible to pests such as the elm-leaf beetle "Xanthogaleruca luteola" 
, Japanese beetle, and cankerworms.In trials at the University of Minnesota, was found to have the second highest (after ) incidence of branch breakage occasioned by bark inclusions.