Given that pollarding--the drastic, annual cutting back of branches to the main trunk--is employed on many woody plants, chances are that you could not kill or seriously injure this plant by cutting it back. That's not a guaranty ... just a prediction with high probabilities. But Spring is a better time to do serious cutting. Now, it'd be best to limit cutting to just what will solve the window-covering problem. (Hard cutting produces lots of tender replacement growth which is not what you want if potential freezing is just around the corner. Foliage needs some time to "harden off" before frosts.) In the springtime, everyone knows how foliage seems to suddenly burst out of dormant plants. Just before this happens is a great time to do major pruning. This allows a plant's stored energy to be put to best use ... growth where one wants it. In this case you might decide on the height you like. Determine (from past observation) how much height this plant will add when it takes the "leap" during the growing season. Deduct that amount from the desired height (in anticipation of new growth) and cut it there. If the plant is a rampant grower, this will be a drastic cut. If it's a modest grower, it will be a more reasonable amount. Part of this equation also depends on how many times a year you are willing to cut. Factor in height removed with the number of intervals of pruning. Cutting in ANTICIPATION of growth is my preference; it has some advantages over cutting in REACTION to growth. Chances are good that this is NOT a dwarf Lorapetalum (if indeed that's what it is) like you need, but instead, one of the big fatties that make nice, small trees. You might consider replacing it with something better suited, or get used to hard pruning or that which is constant and ongoing.

Hi everyone- thanks for the help and suggestions! I have a few cuttings at my parent's house stateside that looked totally dead. They haven't done anything in the last 2 months. I took a tiny blade to make a small slice in the bark (I read somewhere that if it's still green under the bark it's still alive) and sure enough, a few are still alive! I'm not sure that means they'll stay alive, especially since I cut into their bark. :( I am not quite sure how to tell when parts of the mother plant are semi-mature but I think I did come across that once in my searching. I am going to take a few more cuttings (if there are only good ones left!) in about a month so fingers crossed, I can make them grow. If not, I think I'm taking Ken's advice and buying some stateside. Thanks again everyone!

hi gal ... in the midwest.. its called a severe hailstorm .. ma nature does it for us ... sometimes.twice or 3 times a season ... july/august is root growing time... when they grow new roots to store energy to emerge next spring .... so just like a tree with too much canopy reduction.. you could be impacting size next year ... but you gotta do .. what you gotta do ... they will use stored energy.. and reflush ... and of course.. you need to solve the slug issue.. i know you peeps in the PNW ... grow those things like most of us have never seen .. lol .. also consider removing just the leaves.. and leaving the petioles.. the stalks.. they alone can process sunlight ... in fact.. i have been know.. to tell peeps to just throw them on the driveway.. without the pot.. until next spring.. you can barely kill the things ... so dont give it another thought.. and do what you have to do.. use your vast instincts.. and dont worry about killing them ... worse off.. they might just be a bit smaller next year ... now go harvest some escargot ... ken

A very large red rhododendron like this one is probably the variety Nova Zembla, one of the very vigorous and hardy so-called ironclads. Cutting away even main limbs will not kill it, but you may have to wait several years for it to regrow to its current size. The fact that seems to be in a sunny location will help insure regrowth. Without knowing what sort of work is being done on the house, these cautions may be unnecessary, but you should try to avoid soil compaction if workers or equipment will be near the base of the plant. Putting down boards or plywood temporarily will help. If the work involves masonry on the foundation or chimney, make sure mortar and any other lime rich materials do not raise the soil pH around the rhododendron. Finally, ropes and stakes can often be used to pull shrubs away from the area being worked on. This could perhaps make radical cutting back to ground level unnecessary.