Wonderful story, Pamela! The plant seems very promising - fast-growing, pestfree, tolerates alkaline soil, therefore a good alternative to citruses, which get easily chlorotic and need a lot of care and water. Maclura seems to be very drought tolerant, it has glossy green leaves at this time of the year. I read, that it tolerates different kind of soils, also sand with clay, but should be given good drainage. It does not like competition. For fruit with seeds one would need a female and a male tree, but a sole female tree makes seedless fruit. The fruit in the house can keep out mosquitos and cockroaches, it functions as an insect repellent, which has been patented this year. There is a variety inermis with no thorns available. One can sow the seeds directly in the autumn or January-February in the greenhouse. I will surely try it, I really liked the tree and all the stories about it.