Abstract: The salt tolerant woody plants can be divided into two main groups:glycophy tes and halophy tes.Halophy tes are usually salt accumulators and gly cophy tes are salt excludors.How ever, the criteria for salt exclusion are not always clear.Although salt responses of different types of woody plants are not the same, some major changes are identified in net photosynthesis rate and in growth.Four mechanisms are proved to be related to the salt resistance of woody plants:(1)regulation of ion intake;(2)avoidance of toxicity;(3)maintaining membrane integrity and (4)ion compartmentation.Currently, both conventional plant breeding and bio technology are used to improve salt tolerance of woody plants.