This study had as objective to find appropriate timber species to recover secondary forests on over used soils in Eastern Amazonia, Brazil. Survival and growth of 5,383 seedlings, from eight species planted in the raining season of 1993 through enrichment planting, were monitored during 15 years. Each seedling was planted on East-West 3-m-wide lines opened in secondary forest, fertilized with cow dung and NPK, and liberated against lianas and non-commercial species. The species (treatments) were compared through a GLM with ANOVA and means through the Scheffe test (p <= 0.05). Crown quality, bole commercial usage, bole bifurcation and inclination, resprouts, defoliation, lianas, and attacks by termites and fungi were also assessed and compared using multivariate analysis. All species presented survival percentages > 95% in year 1 and >= 90% in year 15 with Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum having the highest total and bole heights, 15.71 +/- 5.22 m and 11.68 +/- 3.91 m, respectively. S. parahyba, C. goeldiana, H. courbaril, and T. grandis were the most appropriated species to recover secondary forests on over used soils in Eastern Amazonia.