It is in a more exposed position so took a bigger hit from winter cold than its more protected buddies. But it is certainly NOT dead!! It wouldn't have any sign of new growth from the base if it were dead :-)

They all seem to take an equal share of the elements. We were thinking that might be the plant of choice for the dogs to pee on.

Well, the photo above shows it very clearly to be well away from any protection or microclimate/reflected heat source that the walls produce for the other hydrangea plants.

Dogs peeing on the plant would result in 'burned' or brown foliage like what you would see with over-fertilization, which is exactly what dog pee is (high urea or nitrogen content). It is not likely to kill a plant nor to result in dead upper branches.

I guess even if it is not dead my major concern is whether it will ever catch up to the others (especially in the near future).

They grow stems quickly once you start seeing leaves.

Where are u located ...Zone/State

Massachusetts 6a

Hydrangeas really take off when the warm weather arrives and soil temperature reaches 70 degrees. I’d just wait

Give it a chance. Mine are just beginning to show leaves, here on the North Shore of Boston.

Endless Summer is supposed to form blooms on old wood (which a late freeze will destroy) and on new wood that grows during the season. Late freezes will not mess up the blooms on new wood. Since the blooms come at different times, the blooms seem to go on all summer, thus the name.

It's been a very cold spring here. I think you need give that plant time to show what it's going to do. I bet it's just fine. It may bloom on its new branches, but probably not on the old ones. Expect the first new growth to appear at the very bottom of the plant. Wait to cut off any old "sticks" until the new branches are tall. Those old ones may still sprout leaves in a few weeks.

I wanted to know if they bloom?..I think your climate is a little warmer than mine..but at the moment they look similar to mine which don't bloom..

Endless Summer hydrangea is a sport of Hydrangea Macrophylla, the big leaf blue mopheads that everyone knows and thinks of as the classic hudrangea. Those don't bloom reliably at all here in New England. Read here for more on this plant's blooming performance:

https://www.southernliving.com/garden/grumpy-gardener/the-truth-about-endless-summer

If you want a reliably blooming hydrangea in New England, buy a Paniculata. They bloom white, lime green, and varieties of pink. They bloom on new growth, so late New England frosts don't destroy the blooms.

Here is a picture of my remaining ES,,,STANDS 65” high &90”wide how could Winter protect this baby

Such a nice ball of foliage. Was getting only one blue mophead annoying, given the unrealized potential of blue balls all over the plant? Hyed, what zone do you live in? How late is your usual last frost? It's that last frost that does the blooms in, not the cold in the middle of the winter I think. The plant is listed as growable to zone 4.

Somewhere I read that in northern zones the cool summers have a deleterious impact on bloom formation. I can't find it now.

Here's another thing on how it behaves in northern climates.

http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2007/07/03/endless-summer-hydrangea-does-it-live-up-to-the-hype/

LF, 6a ....Burlington Ma.