ABSTRACT Aquatic macrophytes absorb a number of pollutants from where they are growing and thus, they can be used as a tool for the removal of pollutants from the aquatic ecosystem. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate heavy metals (Hg, Cr, Zn, Cd, and Pb) removal efficiency of Typha latifolia L. from the offshore of Hawassa Lake, Ethiopia. Based on the potential exposure of the lake to different sources of pollutants, six sampling sites were selected, and then T. latifolia and composite plant samples were collected from each sampling site and transported to Addis Ababa Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) laboratory for analysis. The results showed that significantly (P < .05) higher heavy metal concentration was recorded in T. latifolia than in composite plant samples, particularly samples collected from S2, S4, and S5. Moreover, significantly (P < .05) higher heavy metal concentration was found in the root parts of the T, latifolia than its shoot. The concentration of heavy metals recorded in this study has slightly exceeded the level set by the WHO guideline. In addition, medium to very high correlations were recorded for some heavy metal pairs as well as with some physicochemical parameters (e.g. pairs of Zn/Pb, Cd/Pb, EC, and pH with most heavy metals).In conclusion, T. latifolia have shown promising potential for the removal of Zn, Pb and Cd, while composite macrophytes samples for Hg and Cr. The shoot part of T. latifolia has a relatively better capacity to remove Cr, while the root is for Hg, Zn, Cd and Pb. These results indicated the suitability of the plant for phytoremediation, and the usefulness of the technique as an option for improving the water quality of the lake by removing those heavy metals from the lake offshore.