Abstract A bench scale experiment was conducted to compare the effectiveness of three kinds of bed filters (zeolite, zeolite + shell fossils, charcoal chips) and five plant species (Chinese water spinach (Ipomea aquatica Forskal), rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Takanari), zinnia (Zinnia elegance L.), watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.), stock (Matthiona incana R. Br.)) for use as plant-bed filter systems in order to develop low cost and energy-saving devices for wastewater treatment combined with resource recycling and amenity functions. Pots (0.05 m2) filled with bed filter materials were prepared as experimental systems. The addition of higher plants to the bed filters enhanced the nitrogen and phosphorus removal from wastewater as plant species considerably affected the P and N removal efficiency. In the summer-autumn season (June-December), Chinese water spinach and rice were more effective than zinnia. In the winter-spring season (January-May), watercress was more effective than stock. Although the ...