Abstract:The growth and morphological characteristics were investigated from seedlings of 11 tree species. The seedlings were cultivated in pots that were treated with sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions with concentrations of 0, 3, 5, 8 g?kg-1 and 10 g?kg-1 of soil dry weight. The seedlings of Viburnum opulus, Betula lenta and Rhus glabra were dead at the treatment level of 8 g?kg-1 soil dry weight, and those of Laburnum watereri were dead at 10 g?kg-1 soil dry weight, while other survivable seedlings were salt-damaged to different degrees. The height and biomass accumulation of salt-stressed seedlings decreased as the salt concentration increased, this was especially evident for the seedlings of Ptelea trifoliate, Betula lenta and Rhus glabra. Under the salt stress, the root/shoot dry weight ratio increased almost for all species, among which the ratios of Rhus glabra, Shepherdia argentea, and Laburnum watereri were significantly different from that of the controls (p<0.05). Based on the analysis of growth and morphological appearance the results indicate that, Syringa japonica, Shepherdia argentea, Rhus trilobata, and Pyrus calleryana are highly salt-tolerant, while Laburnum watereri, Cytisus scoparius, and Spartium junceum are intermediately salt-tolerant, and Viburnum opulus, Betula lenta, and Rhus glabra are moderately salt-tolerant.