Plant biomass has become one of the most important sustainable sources of low-cost and high-efficiency adsorption materials for wastewater treatment, and Conocarpus is one of the most promising plants in this field due to its availability as a product of urban pruning processes and its outstanding physical and chemical properties. This study comprehensively and critically reviews the latest research findings related to the use of conocarpus derivatives in wastewater treatment, with a focus on the structural and chemical properties of the raw material, and strategies Preparation and modification, adsorption mechanisms, factors affecting performance, and the most important environmental applications. The review shows that carbonization and physical and chemical activation processes, together with advanced surface modifications, lead to improved porosity, increased surface area and enrichment of functional groups, enhancing the efficiency of the removal of heavy metals, dyes, nutrients and emerging organic pollutants. It also describes the various mechanisms involved in adsorption, such as electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, surface complexity, intrapore adsorption, hydrogen bonding and π–π reactions, which have a strong impact on the operating conditions: pH, zero charge point, contact time, and contaminant concentration. Despite the promising results of Conocarpus derivatives, practical applications are still limited due to the lack of reuse, continuous operation, real-water evaluation, and economic and environmental assessment. The review also notes that studies on radionuclide removal are still limited, with evidence that these materials can be used to remove 226Ra, which warrants further research into their selectivity, stability and practical applications. The review emphasizes that linking the properties of the material to operating conditions and adsorption mechanisms provides a basis for the development of more efficient and sustainable water treatment materials.