Water scarcity, particularly in arid regions, limits the development of green landscapes. The vegetated biofiltration system (VBS) offer simultaneous wastewater purification and landscape aesthetics; however, their treatment efficiency requires improvement. Biochar represents a promising amendment due to its outstanding properties. In this study, biochar was incorporated into three different plant-based VBS and compared with nonamended controls. Biochar addition increased plant height and branch numbers by 20-40 % and 69-100 %, respectively. Complete removals of disinfection by-products (DBPs), including bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane and bromoform, were present in the biochar-amended columns, while only 79.9-98.7 % removals in controls. NO3--N removal was enhanced by 16.3-18.7 %, and effluent turbidity was reduced by 49.0-60.5 % compared to the controls. The effects of biochar were plant species-dependent, enhancing biomass and microbial diversity while synchronously shifting community structure for three plants. Finally, the mechanism of biochar-augmented VBS performance was also discussed. These findings advance our understanding of the promising application of biochar in VBS for sustainable wastewater management.