Metal concentrations were measured in plants growing on heavily contaminated tailings from a mine active since about 1800 in San Luis Potosi (Mexico). Viguiera dentata (Cav.) Spreng., Parthenium bipinnatifidum (Ort.) Rollins, Flaveria angustifolia (Cav.) Pers., F. trinervia (Spreng.) C. Mohr. and Sporobolus indicus (L.) R. Br. were tolerant to high As, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations. Of those, S. indicus excluded heavy metals from its shoots, while P. bipinnatifidum and F. angustifolia accumulated them. V. dentata and P. bipinnatifidum were accumulators of As, but not hyperaccumulators. It was found that V. dentata, P. bipinnatifidum, F. angustifolia, F. trinervia and S. indicus, could be used to vegetate soils contaminated with As, Cu, Pb and Zn. Ambrosia artemisifolia could be used to remediate soils contaminated with Zn, S. amplexicaulis those with Cu and F. angustifolia and F. trinervia those with As, as they have a strong capacity to accumulate those metals. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.