The toxicity thresholds of Cd to higher plants in various soils are determined using root-elongation, emergence and growth of higher plants tests with the aim of providing fundamental data for the revision of soil environmental quality standards of Cd in soils of China. Fourteen different soils with various properties and barley and perennial ryegrass were selected in this study, the dose-response curves and the toxicity thresholds were investigated using Log-Logistic distribution models based on the ISO 11269-1 root-elongation test and on the ISO 11269-2 emergence and growth of higher plants test in soils. Cd concentrations in shoot of the ryegrass seedlings were also determined in this study. The results indicated that the relative root elongation (%) of barley significantly decreased with the increase of Cd concentrations (0-200 mg/kg) in soils. The half inhibiting concentration (EC₅₀) and the 10% effect concentration (EC₁₀) of Cd to the relative root elongation of barley varied significantly from 7.8 to 61.7 mg/kg and from 0.2 to 5.4 mg/kg among the tested soils, respectively. The values of EC₅₀ and EC₁₀ increased obviously with rising soil pH. In the test range (0-500 mg/kg Cd) the shoot biomass of perennial ryegrass increased at lower concentrations (5 mg/kg) and then significantly decreased at higher concentrations (≥ 25 mg/kg). The EC₅₀ and the EC₁₀ of Cd to the shoot biomass of perennial ryegrass varied significantly from 29.7 to 499.7 mg/kg and from 4.4 to 200.0 mg/kg among the tested soils, respectively. There was no correlation between soil factors and the EC₅₀ or EC₁₀ of Cd to the shoot biomass of ryegrass in soils. Lower concentrations of Cd (5-25 mg/kg) promoted seed germination of perennial ryegrass, but when Cd concentration was more than 50 mg/kg there was slightly inhibition of seed germination and the inhibition peaked when Cd concentration was 500 mg/kg in five of the studied soils. Soil pH was found to be the major property influencing Cd accumulation in shoots of ryegrass. In general, Cd sensitiveness of barley is higher than perennial ryegrass which represents hyper-accumulative ability for Cd, soil pH is the main soil factor affecting Cd toxicity to higher plants in soils. The conclusions of this study could provide reference for plants breeding on Cd contaminated soil.