This study was undertaken to assess the feasibility of using plant litter resources for the remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil. Twenty-one types of litter from plants used for afforestation in Northern Shaanxi (a main petroleum producing area in China) were collected and mixed with petroleum-contaminated soil to conduct an incubation experiment over 120 days. The improvements of soil chemical and biological properties were detected and analyzed using integrated principal component analysis. Results indicated that litter from Platycladus orientalis and Trifolium repens resulted in the best integrated remediation effects on contaminated soil, followed by litter from Caragana korshinskii, Medicago sativa, Coronilla varia, Artemisia argyi, and Populus simonii. These types of litter could be used in the remediation of contaminated soil. In contrast, Larix principis-rupprechtii, Amorpha fruticosa, Pinus tabulaeformis, Hippophae rhamnoides, Quercus liaotungensis, Pyrus betulifolia, Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Robinia pseudoacacia litter resulted in serious deterioration effects, followed by Ulmus pumila, Armeniaca sibirica and Bothriochloa ischaemum litter. These types of litter should be avoided in the remediation of contaminated soil.