Goumi berries Zone 4 / MN?

Hey all first timer here hoping to shed light from the clan knowledge base here!

I purchased 6 goumi berry bushes online to get 2 diff varieties.  The site I got it from stated these are hardy to zone 4 which is where I am (Minneapolis Metro/Burbs). I noticed all top growth, looks like likely not covered by snow didn't grow back, but bushes are profusely regrowing near soil line and already about half size of last year...

Researching online with the very little info available I'm getting mixed signals... There are maybe 20% of sources that all seem to reference verbatim each other that states the plant will die back below 20 degrees C or single digits F but roots are heardy to much less... Then the other 80% of sites state zone 4 hardy to -25F.. seems I experienced the first reference info ..

Anyone else try Goumis in zone 4 and mind sharing your experience?? Was this just a symptom of 1st year growth from a gardening center with warmer weather and the plants are just getting acclimated to my area and be more hardy moving forward, or should I expect this die back every year?

Wanted these for edible privacy hedge.. and if they just keep dying and regrowing from base each year it won't accomplish what I'm after and might consider replacing with autumn olive which seem less palatable but more hardy to cooler temps...

Also with the marketing of zone 4... Am I just misunderstanding that concept? I would have thought hardy to a zone means plant will continue to regrow on old growth within that zone (like all my other zone 4 items like fruit trees etc), not just that roots survive and the thing keeps dying back and regrow from roots each year.. if I was misinformed and this is what it is it will speed my decision to replace.

Hoping some other people out there have some insight to share!!

The USDA zonal information we use as a starting point, but are not disappointed when it turns out wrong.

I don't know enough about Goumi's, but for Zone 4 and colder (we are just south of Moorhead MN), you may wish to looking into a mixture of Juneberry, Aroniaberry, and Nannyberry.  That would give a good mix of early summer and fall harvest as well as good fall color in the foliage.  I don't have a good feel for pruning efforts on these and others may wish to comment, but good fruit while also getting thick foliage should be possible.

Your understanding of the zone concept is correct, shrubs that are described as hardy in a zone should grow like shrubs. If a woody plant is expected only to regrow from roots in a certain area, the listing should clearly state that.

Goumi should be truly zone 4 hardy  (hiya Twin Cities neighbor!). I have a "Sweet Scarlet" goumi growing here that is doing fine, regrowing from wood each year. I think it had some tip dieback the first winter (that was the winter with the nasty -35F day) but has generally been looking good. So hopefully yours just had a momentary setback and will recover.

Follow up in case anyone else has problems like this... These plants rebounded like crazy and are now over 2x the mature height from 1st year transplant... Fingers crossed for what happens this winter!