It is not a vigorous grower for me, but it does come back after the winter without struggle and it looks nice even today at the end of a brutal July. I have watered it 4 times this month. It is in average soil, not bad, but not ideal either. May spread faster if the soil were looser, but it is kind of heavy where it is at. It bloomed a tad later than many of my others, I have noted that they just bloom whenever they want. My Francess Williams blooms really early, like mid June and I have others that are just now putting up scapes.