I think I had it for 6 or 8 years, but I'm not sure. My mother had bought one at the same nursery, at the same time, and hers was oversized too. Is it POSSIBLE that they're grafted and the rootstock determines the eventual size of the shrub? I'm not a pruner, especially not interested in "pruning for size," so, although I removed a few stray branches for awhile, I did not try to prune it very seriously. My mom, on the other hand, pruned hers for a few years before deciding that it was just too big. If I were you, I'd talk to the people at the nursery where you bought it before planting it. If I'd known the size mine would reach, I could have planted it in another area. They do not like to be moved, at least that's what I've read. Then again, yours may be a smaller one - I certainly have seen small doublefiles that don't look like they're being hacked up annually.

When selecting rhododendrons, choose by plant height/width & bloom color; also choose those that can grow in Zone 5 (PJM Hydrids for example); and also ask (or note) if they have any nice fall foliage (Olga Mezitt is a good fall foliage rhodie). The height/width that you see in plant labels and websites is the estimated size at 10 years but, since rhodies live longer than that, they will get taller and wider. Some pruning now and then will take care of those that exceed their boundaries. All mail order and Internet companies will advertise this type of information for each variety that they sell. There is no 'best' company or rhododendron as you might surmise. What one person likes, another can dislike so choose what you like instead. Some varieties do better based on light or moisture or etc conditions. Local nurseries are a good source of examples but they will not get new plants until -I am guessing- March/April so selection now will be limited. However, many of those plants will probably be blooming which makes it great for picking specimens that you like (photo colors on the Internet can be "off" sometimes). Last suggestion: some cities have botanical gardens or arboretums which you can visit when plants are in bloom. Here is a link that might be useful: Rhododendron Nurseries

bananafan2 yeah, i have 4, and all now are in full sun the only problem with that is making sure thye have enough water even with a slightly heavy soil, the one in the container still gets leaves burned if not watered every day. The other 3 in ground have LOTS of mulch, one of them (smaller one) gets %50 shade mid-day (2 to 3 hrs) , but full sun in morning and evenings. the other 2 are full sun, and if it doesnt rain, and isnt cloudy, they can only go 1 to 2 days without water or leaves will start to burn. Also... i found they like extra iron. i gave them Chelated Iron FE 11% DTPA, Water Soluble. and they responded well. i did a foliar spray once, and watered it in twice about 2 weeks apart. the color on the leaves changed. older ones got a darker green... just a small bit of Epsom salt 1 to 2 times during the summer helped green-up the leaves also. you can also use Epsom as a foliar and watering it in. that iron is 12oz, and i treated at least 5 larger trees and lots of seedlings and potted plants, and barely used 1/2 the bag.

10 to 15 feet in height after at least 10 years (probably longer in Z5) is a reasonable estimate. The Sooner Plant Farm photo could be of a much older tree and height is hard to determine in a photo without perspective or anything for comparison. The SPF tree has also been pruned to a single trunk. 'Jane' and the other magnolias in the Little Girl series naturally grow in a multi-stemmed, more shrubby manner. They can be pruned into a more tree-like shape if you're willing to do the work each year. It is a good choice for Z5 in that it is a very hardy variety that blooms late enough to avoid most frosts. It will do best in a site out of the wind.