The remained litter mass, and the contents of As, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the litters of Phragmites australis and Suaeda salsa under different flooding conditions in the Yellow River Delta were determined to investigate the litter decomposition rates and heavy metal return characteristics. Results showed that the decomposition of S. salsa litters was significantly faster than that of P. australis litters (P<0.05), and the decomposition under tidal flooding conditions was faster than that under the short-term flooding conditions. In terms of P. australis litters, their contents of As, Cr and Cu were higher compared to the initials, and these heavy metals contents of P. australis litters under tidal flooding conditions were higher than those under short-term flooding conditions. For S. salsa litters, all heavy metals exhibited an increase in the study, and the contents of As, Cu and Pb under tidal flooding conditions were significantly higher than those under the short-term flooding conditions (P<0.05). Pb and Zn were released during the decomposition for both P. australis and S. salsa litters. The findings of this study contributed to further studies on the influences of the tidal waves on the litter decomposition and metal returns in the Yellow River Delta.