If you search the forum, you will find an unusually high number of people complaining about bloomage issues with ES, perhaps more so than with others like the Forever Series of Hydrangeas, Lets Dance Series, etc for example. The problems arise with people in zones 5 and 6. Once things like pruning errors, water issues and too much nitrogen have been ruled out, the people who waited several years for the plant to develop or those who added extra phosphorus to the soil said it helped. But there were a lot of people who did not reply/update. A handful said they were successful with cutting some of the roots with a straight-edge spade. The one ES that I actually tried years ago did not make it due to drip irrigation problems on my part but it was so expensive that I never replaced it.

I think all H. macrophylla are sensitive to late frost....if it comes when flowering buds are open it can cause damage and the lost of summer flowers

Yes but it should still "rebloom" in the mid-to-late part of the growing season. At least once. Hopefully? Knock on wood.

Luis, it is my experience that the flowering on new growth of ES The Original doesn't really materialize until the plant is relatively well established....at least a couple of growing season in the ground. And I'd still also recommend winter protection for any mac - reblooming or not - in any of the colder zones, z6 or below. With weather patterns changing as much as they are and the extreme cold of the last few winters in much of the country, I'd just rather be safe than sorry :-)

I know, indeed, that is why I just suggested waiting for the plant to develop more and become established. Part of the problem is people wanting results right a way based on the heavy ES advertising saying that "you will get blooms later in the season too".

Trying ES plants with more of a root system or a new-wood flowering hydrangea would be an alternative albeit not guaranteed if weather issues crop up. Sigh, that reminds me of last Saturday... I had seen a vast gorgeous number of Little Limes planted under the canopy an old, large and majestic-looking magnolia tree. About a month after they turned green, I noticed they disappeared and got replaced by -God- annuals. Wish they had given me some of the plants; they must have planted at least 2 dozen of them. The WOW Factor was off the charts for me but, eh, not now. Don't know if they decided to remove them because the blooms were spent, ugly or what.....

I think "endless bummer" aka Endless Summer owners have been swindled...I should know...have 5 non blooming duds for 10 years now

I think it's probably a local conditions thing since mine do just fine. The problem IMO is that it was marketed as being appropriate for the entire US - probably not the best choice for many areas.

I think Babs is probably correct. In areas where hydrangeas do well in general, Endless Summer is a perfectly reasonable selection. Here in the PNW I know of several ES plants that are very large, well established shrubs that bloom profusely all summer long. But then, we seldom get weather cold enough to damage the flowering potential of any macrophylla - they ALL bloom profusely!

Most of the comments about the lack of blooming of these plants originates from colder zones. My suggestion would be to provide winter protection to the ES just as you would to a non-remontant or once blooming bigleaf hydrangea and see what that does to encourage proper flowering.

kwelch4 - YES!!!...they STILL try to say when the plants don't bloom that it's our fault...bad soil, light, water, etc...instead of admitting they r promoting a plant that fails in cold zones...I tell people at garden centers NOT to buy...interesting to see them thinking when I say "how many of these do u see blooming"?...

Mine aren't protected and don't get an early bloom since they are killed to the snow line or ground level every winter, but I get good summer bloom from new wood. But other than temperature I have ideal growing conditions for H. macrophylla with acid, moist well-drained soil, regular rain, and warm to hot days with cooler nights. Based on my experience, I really think this is a plant that does rely heavily on local growing conditions.

I rarely buy newly marketed plants since I have found that often they haven't been tested for long enough in enough different parts of the country. I usually wait a minimum of 3 years since there are a lot of things marketed as zone 5 that I cannot grow here on the northern edge of zone 5. There are so many gorgeous tried and true plants that I would just as soon wait to buy until I have more info from actual gardeners who are more adventurous than I on their experiences with such things as hardiness, floppiness, rebloom, self-seeding, and need to deadhead for new plant varieties. I really don't have either the patience or the budget for what turn out to be expensive annuals or that can't deal with my acid soil and heavy snow load.

NHBabs - well said...I know so many (including me) with disappointing results with ES hydrangeas...I try to warn others from falling into the same trap...

Like Gardengal47, we are very blessed in the PNW to have the perfect Marine climate for hydrangeas. I found this interesting article that is a few years old, but still good information, The truth about Endless Summer Hydrangea I think the hype is more an issue of marketing a plant to increase sales regardless of the facts! The only successful Hydrangea that I was able to grow in my Northern CA garden, Sunset zone 14b was an unnamed mop head that grew in my creek!

New introductions are wonderful and exciting, but they should come from reliable growers - local is best - who have taken the time to trial them in local conditions. That is why they might be more expensive but worth it in the long run. There are many plant societies and Garden Clubs as well as Master Gardeners organizations who sponsor sales with local nurseries.

Gardengal48, I agree that the same hydrangea species can not be planted anywhere in the US and be successful. Here in the PNW, we are gifted with a mild Marine climate that is almost foolproof for most Hydrangeas. If you google ES Hydrangeas the words most often used are long bloom season, easy to grow,