Nineteen taxa of potted seedlings were put on roofdecks at ca 5 m above ground in air-polluted sites (industrial site, IS; and transportati on site, TS) and less-polluted site (control site at Luhu Park, CS) at Guangzhou city to compare the response of the plants to air pollutants. The integrated i ndex of air pollution at the three sites in 2000 were in the order of IS > TS > CS. The content of chlorophyll and Fv/Fm in leaves of all species after growing for one and half year at two air-polluted sites (IS and TS)decreased，whereas the cell membrane leakage rate increased as compared with the control site．Some plants such as Ficus elastica, F. microcarpa, F. microcarpa cv．Golden leaves，Ormosia pinnata，Nerium indicum，Magnolia delavayi，Fagraea ceilanica， Swietenia mahagoni an dMimusops elengi exhibited more resistance to airpollutants than others such as Acmena accuminatissima，Lysidice rhodostegia, Bombax malabaricum and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis．