I planted ours kinda close an area where there is some drainage from the neighbor’s yard, and got hubby to cut down the brush around them.
During the year where we had a big drought, and just let the garden burn up because we didn’t have enough rainwater stored, they did just fine.
The japenese beetles love them, but we use those beetle traps and they work pretty well, so we get plenty. They also keep people from inadvertently stepping into a big puddle of mud, because they are thick and thorny.
Yes, ours attract japanese beetles. I usually save a container such as a large mayonnaise jar (because of the large mouth), fill it with water and some dishwashing liquid, and brush the beetles into it. No chemicals, and it works fairly well. It takes some time, but it’s nice to be out in the early afternoon, so I don’t mind.