Three horticultural herbaceous plants and a natural herbaceous plant were tested to determine the growth responses, biomass and uptake of cadmium(cd), lead(pb) by application of cd and pb soil treatment in pot culture. The ecological effects on the growth of the plants were investigated to determine the tolerance for the heavy metal pollutants cd and pb. the marginal concentrain of cd treatment on the growth of the each plant was below the 1, 000 ppm treatment of cd. The marginal concentration of pb treatment was below the 1, 000ppm treatment of pb in cultivation of salvia splendens ker., celosia cristata l. and below the 3, 000ppm treatment of pb in cultivation of portulaca grandiflora hook., sedum saramentosum bunge. the resistance for cd of sedum saramentosum bunge, celosia criastata l., portulaca grandiflora hook. and salvia splendens ker. was in the listed order. The resistence for pb was in order of sedum saramentosum bunge, portulaca grandiflora hook. Salvia splendens ker.and celosia criastata l.stems. The flowering of portulaca grandiflora hook. was sustained in the pb 1, 000ppm treated group only. The higher the concentration of pb in the soil cultivated the plants was, the less the content of leaf chlorophy11 in each plant was. The number of stomata per unit leaf area was the highest in salvia splendens ker. and in order of celosia l., sedum saramentosum bunge., portulaca grandiflora hook., the higher the cd and pb concentration of cd and pb treatment was, the more the concent of cd and pb in the part of each plant increased. the content of cd and pb in the stems of salvia spiendens ker. was the highest in the 1, 000ppm-treated ground and in order of the roots, the leaves and the flowers.