Environmental degradation due to lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) pollution has been increasing. One of the alternative cost-effective green technologies to clean up heavy metal contamination is phytoremediation. This research aims to determine the potential of wild-found plants that could be used as Pb and Cd bioaccumulators. Plant species in this study were collected from heavy metal-contaminated soil in Bekasi and Karawang, West Java. Five species, namely Saccharum spontaneum, Acorus calamus, Ipomoea fistulosa, Ludwigia hyssopifolia, and Eichhornia crassipes, were studied for Pb accumulation capacity. Furthermore, five plant species, namely Limnocharis flava, Colocasia esculenta, Ipomoea fistulosa, Commelina benghalensis, and Eichhornia crassipes, were studied for their Cd accumulation capacity. The experiment was done in a greenhouse for eight weeks. Pb and Cd concentration were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) to determine the uptake and translocation of Pb or Cd. I. fistulosa accumulated the highest amount of Pb, with a growth rate of up to 27.07 g week− 1, a bioconcentration factor (BCF) of 1.46, and a translocation factor (TF) of 0.87 upon 300 mg kg− 1 Pb treatment. C. esculenta showed considerable Cd bioaccumulation, as indicated by a BCF of 0.95 and a TF of 0.65, accompanied by sustained relative biomass increase (124.9%) and the highest growth rate (36.96 g week− 1) among tested plant species upon 75 mg kg− 1 Cd treatment. With their capacities for bioaccumulating Pb and Cd, respectively, I. fistulosa and C. esculenta were identified as potential accumulator species for phytoremediation in heavy metal-contaminated sites such as former mining lands, landfills, and highly polluted agricultural lands.