That sounds like a useful plant. Congrats! Does it smell nice, too? If google showed me the right plants, they kind of look like palms. Cool!

I have one that's about 8 ft tall and I'm wondering about pruning it. It's time to start creating a strong structure but I don't know what pruning method to use. The bottom branches start at about 5 ft so it doesn't seem wise to cut the tree off below that?

the first few years it was a thin stick, and then started branching out as you describe. I did not prune it at all, and then a couple of years later it was a tall bushy tree. It looks beautiful, and the nuts simply fall to the ground when ready. They are green at first and then turn brown naturally.

I use them for all my handwashing except for whites, because it is slightly brownish in color.

Sounds like I just let it go and not worry about pruning. I know they get huge in time.