This little guy is not a potted patio specimen. It needs room to send out it's multiple tap like roots. Make plans for a permeant home. They grow in a vase shape at a moderate rate, have leaves, and flowers with supplemental water to about 10-12 ft. tall and 8-10 wide. Transplant if you wish for a few years but plan ahead.

I think you can put it in a very deep pot as wide as you can tolerate. I don't see why it won't work if you are in the desert. Colder high desert climates would not work though. If you can tolerate a huge potted plant why not?

It will grow tall! You live only once. I wish I could grow an ocotillo in a pot here in Albuquerque, but our winters are too cold (they survive here in the ground though). You need to remove the original pot when putting it in the bigger one. I apologize if that is obvious but your post is a bit unclear. Good luck and post pics!