Removal of heavy metals by the invasive alien weed greater club rush (Scirpus grossus L. f) in a wetland ecosystem was estimated and compared with water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) to assess its efficiency as a phytoremediator. The study was conducted during October-December 2016 by collecting soil and plant samples from an industrially polluted locality in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. Results showed that in both the species, the metal concentration was more in the root system than in the shoot portion. Total metal uptake pattern in greater club rush was Cu>Cr>Zn>Ni>Pb>Co>Cd>As, while in water hyacinth it was Cu>Zn>Ni>Cr>Pb>Co>As>Cd.  It was concluded that greater club rush with its huge biomass production (>30 t/ha), could remove many of the heavy metals from contaminated soils more efficiently than water hyacinth. Biological concentration factor (BCF), translocation factor (TF) and biological accumulation coefficient (BAC) calculated for assessment of heavy metal mobility also suggested that greater club rush has the potential to be utilised for phytoremediation of contaminated soils.