There is a growing interest for the use of native tree species for tropical plantations. However, their silvicultural requirements are generally unknown. Fifteen native tree species, seven early- and eight late-successional species, were planted on an abandoned pasture located on a degraded Hydrandept volcanic soil in Amazonian Ecuador. The objective was to study their survival, growth and foliar nutrient levels in relation to their successional status. The experiment consisted of a random block design with three replicates, each one subdivided in 15 plots with one species per plot. Half of the plots (split-plot) were fertilized with a slow-release fertilizer (16–10–10). Height and basal diameter were measured every 6 months, for 2.5 yr. Foliar nutrients were estimated from samples taken once, at 2 yr. Soil analyses indicated that the soil was poorer and denser in the plantation compared to the adjacent forest, with a large within-site heterogeneity. Early-successional species had a significantly higher survival, growth and foliar nutrient concentrations than the late-successional species. Fertilizer addition did not affect survival or growth. Among late-successional species, Caryodendron orinocense had by far the highest survival. Four early-successional species had a high survival and good growth, with low coefficients of variation in spite of soil heterogeneity: Erythrina poeppigiana, Pollalesta discolor, Heliocarpus americanus and Inga densiflora. The better growth performances of early-successional species could be related to the relatively early stage of plantation. Our results suggest that these species could be used advantageously to rapidly create a tree cover on a degraded soil. This study highlights the importance of investigating the appropriate land use of degraded volcanic soils in the humid tropics. It also underscores the high potential of some native tree species, and recommends that more studies be done on their silviculture, as well as on the selection of those best adapted to degraded volcanic soils.