Abstract In order to explore the effects of salt stress on the growth and secondary metabolites of Periploca sepium seedlings, preliminarily understand the salt tolerance range of Periploca sepium and the induction effect of salt stress on secondary metabolites of Periploca sepium. This experiment was conducted on the seedlings of Periploca sepium cultivated for 30 days to determine the changes in biomass, total steroids components, cardiac glycosides (periplocin,periplocymarin and periplogenin), and 4-methoxy salicylaldehyde content of Periploca sepium seedlings treated with different salt concentrations (0 (CK), 0.2%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%). The results showed that the Periploca sepium seedlings grew well under low concentrations of salt stress, and the dry and fresh weight of the aboveground and underground parts increased to varying degrees. Their dry to wet ratio also gradually increased with the increase of salt stress level; The content of the main effective components in the plant, such as total steroids and cardiac glycosides, showed a significant upward trend under moderate salt stress concentration, while the content of 4-methoxy salicylaldehyde significantly increased under high concentrations of salt stress. Research has found that Periploca sepium has high salt tolerance, and salt stress within a certain range can significantly increase the content of main pharmacological secondary metabolites in the roots and stems of Periploca sepium seedlings.