im wondering.. how you would secure an 8 foot tree big enough to sit under for shade .. from blowing off the balcony in wind ...

Unless you have a pretty unlimited root run......which is difficult to accomplish in a container situation.......you will at some point need to root prune and replace/refresh the potting media. The exception would be most palms, which tend to have a very condensed root system given their size. But the soil would still need attention over time. And palms don't supply much shade :-) tbh, it is difficult to imagine an 8' tree providing much shade at all. Being in a tropical location, I have no suggestions for you about possible plant selection, but really anything can be grown in a container if provided the proper conditions.

And ken, the size of the container necessary to accommodate a tree of that size would be quite heavy once filled with potting soil. I grow containerized trees approaching that size in glazed ceramic containers that have been subjected to some pretty strong winds and they have never blown over....

Dennis, are you aware of how much something like this could weigh?

I might consider using vines to provide the shade rather than a tree. Like rhino, I would be concerned about weight on the balcony, especially when added to the weight of people and whatever other items such a small a BBQ or furniture one might have on the balcony.

I was inspired by this setup at the Apple store!

Looks like a ficus tree in a pot!

That is a massive tree/pot setup. two takeaways for me are:

1. It is indoors, protected from the wind

2. Apple hs the bank account to pay professionals to care for a potted plant of this size

Not trying to deter you, but are you physically and monetarily able to keep a plant of this size in a pot? Do you have a good knowledge base to keep it healthy?

We can all help you with the latter, the former could be a hurdle.

i think bonsai proves that almost anything can be grown in a container, given the proper amount of care.

An patio umbrella might be a better idea.

A smaller area the plants could be arranged to make a cute environment.

https://plantsandthingsusa.com/product/gal-737-9-round-aluminum-umbrella/

eta: I have no association with the company in the link. :-)