Lotta things to ask before making any suggestions- (which I would be happy to make -cause I love this stuff ):
How big is a 'big' container? 2 ft. tall/ 2ft. wide?
Will it sit in sun? Morning or afternoon sun? (8 hours) Part sun? (4-6 hours) Part shade? (4-6 hours) Deep shade?
How much space overall are you willing/able to provide? (for mature height and diameter of plant)
How much maintenance/ mess are you willing to handle?
Let's start there.
A few notes: Root systems of some trees can get pretty big, even if they are dwarf trees. Sometimes it's better for the plant AND the container to plant those using a tub inside ceramic pot - you can buy pretty big plastic tubs from a nursery.
Then, if a tree dies or you want to replace it for whatever reason, you won't have to wrestle it out of the ceramic pot.
Different plants have different life spans.
Some look good for a long while, some get gnarly with age.
