Background <p>Phosphorus (P) is an essential plant nutrient that has continued to depreciate in most soils in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly due to adsorption, leaching, and crop uptake.</p> Objective <p>This study was carried out to determine the effect of phosphorus forms and its absence on P uptake, root traits, and growth of leafy vegetables.</p> Methods <p>Five African indigenous vegetable species alongside one exotic vegetable were grown in pots. Each pot was supplied with 49 milligrams of P in the form of KH₂PO₄, Phytate, rock P, and FePO₄ with the control having no P. The P fertilizers were mixed with 1220&#xa0;g of soil in a ratio of 60:1, sand and loam, to fill the pots before planting. Vegetable seeds were randomly planted and replicated four times, giving rise to 120 pots under investigation.</p> Results <p>All vegetable species actively utilized KH₂PO₄ and Phytate to grow and form the highest shoot and root biomass. Spider plants absorbed high levels of P from all the P treatments, but could not convert more of it to biomass formation. African nightshade performed well in KH₂PO₄ and Phytate, but poorly in the rock P and FePO₄. Cowpeas performed well by yielding high-shoot biomass in all the treatments. Cowpea and Ethiopian kale had high biomass when grown in rock P and FePO₄.</p> Conclusion <p>Vegetable species require P for optimal growth, although various species were seen to have different levels of P uptake and utilization efficiency on soluble and slightly soluble fertilizers as well as their ability to grow in P-absent or adsorbed soils.</p>