My experiences in Zone 7(a) Oklahoma are mostly detailed in this
thread:
https://permies.com/t/159346/easier-ways-enjoy-fresh-Chinese
The short version is, they are essentially
perennial here; they even survived last winter's coldest-on-record drop to thirteen below zero (F). However I have pretty much given up on harvesting them because they don't grow as large as the ones in the Chinese grocery. And at the sizes I can grow, they are too big a pain to peel -- to much work for not
enough meat.
I keep them around because they grow easily in very small pots and the reeds help me attract and retain dragonflies in my garden, which are an essential part of keeping pest insects under control.