Should be true. The ones I've seen at nurseries have forming flower heads on them now.

They tend to shed some bottom foliage in the hot summer months, especially if bought now and planted in the hot summer months. Their root system is not that big so, monitor the soil by inserting a finger into the soil and watering -the soil, never the leaves so they do not get leaf spots- if the soil feels dry or almost dry. When watering, use enough water to get the soil moist at a depth of 8". It is quite rare for it to have small blooms as it normally blooms very early in the summer months so enjoy those few blooms. If they dry out and turn brown then so be it. Do not panic and let it simply use the nutrients to develop a larger root system instead. Make sure that the plant has 2-4" of organic mulch at all times, which will conserve soil moisture and provide future nutrients as the mulch decomposes. I would not fertilize it anymore and instead, wait until after all danger of late frosts has passed in spring 2022 to feed it again. All paniculatas are deciduous so it will eventually lose foliage in the fall 2021 but it will leaf out back in the spring 2022. Since the plant is not yet accustomed to getting this much direct hot sunlight (it was probably in part shade the plant nursery), consider providing some temporary shade in the afternoon and-or evening.

Interesting - mine blooms well every year. I'd be more likely to put it down to the fact that it's a new plant and still growing roots and settling in. Since they are relatively new, and if you are getting the kind of droughty conditions that the northeast is, they may need some water. Check soil moisture with your finger, and water slowly and deeply as needed.

@luis_pr, it’s performing well, though just now starting to turn pink…in comparison, LQF and QF started turning pink two or three weeks ago. It doesn’t bloom earlier than either of those shrubs, perhaps around the same time as Fire Light, which is a few weeks behind the Quick Fires. It doesn’t grow as quickly as full size Quick Fire, either. Here’s a pic of it, taken today, in my most neglected bed, with Walker’s Low and spirea. I guess all things considered, it’s doing pretty darn good - it gets no supplemental water and is blasted by the sun all day long. Part of it has been browsed by deer; I find it interesting that they come around to the back of the shrub so they don’t have to brush against the nepeta on the other side, which they seem to find too stinky for their tastes!