SUMMARY The serpentinic tailings from asbestos mines in southeastern Quebec cover 5.5 km2 and are largely devoid of vegetation. The wastes are close to settlements and are a potential health hazard; it is therefore desirable to develop revegetation techniques that will produce a sustained plant cover. The tailings have a high pH, very low macro-nutrient contents, low Ca: Mg and K: Mg ratios, relatively large amounts of Ni and Cr and a low available water capacity. Vegetation cover has persisted for three years with applications of at least 1 kg m-2 of NPK fertilizer and 4 kg m-2 of farmyard manure or sawdust. However, deficiency symptoms of N and Ca occur by the end of the second growing season. Heavy metal toxicity is a relatively minor problem, but might become more important if the tailings are acidified below pH 80-8 5. Seed germination and plant growth are reduced by low soil water potentials during dry weather. The most successful species were Lolium perenne, Poa pratensis, Elymus junceus, Bromus inermis, Medicago sativa, Trifolium hybridum and Melilotus alba. The estimated cost, at present prices, of the treatments necessary to promote sustained growth is CAN$2960-3460 ha- 1.