<p>The present work is a comprehensive review of research undertaken to scrutinize and explore the multifaceted potential of vetiver in decontaminating and restoring degraded ecosystems, recognizing bottlenecks in its large-scale adoption, and formulating strategies for effective utilization. Under escalating anthropogenic pressures and climate change, vetiver (<i>Chrysopogon zizanioides</i>) exemplifies its capabilities to withstand and remove contaminants like heavy metals and organic pollutants. Vetiver accumulates contaminants predominantly in roots and facilitates their removal from the environment. Further, to deepen knowledge on phytoremediation potential, an insight into the mechanisms has been captured. Vetiver can also significantly contribute to land restoration through effective soil erosion control and slope stabilization via bioengineering principles, leveraging its unique root architecture. Moreover, vetiver can sequester carbon and fix it into its biomass and soil, substantially facilitating the mitigation of climate change. Into the bargain, the augmentation of vetiver with microbes amplifies its stress tolerance and remediation capacity. Understanding this potential enhancement through microbial associations could crucially help in advancing the role of vetiver in sustainable ecological restoration. Conclusively, through the evidence on the versatility and resilience of vetiver, this review underscores its significance as a powerful bio-tool to inform researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, facilitating the reinforcement of scientific approaches and the formulation of credible policies, while restoring degraded ecosystems and mitigating the challenges.</p>