In order to ensure different tolerances of two Salvia plants to NaCl stress and its physiological mechanism,we used S.meiliensis and S.cavaleriei with high medicinal and ornamental value as experimental materials to analyze the variation of their growth,chlorophyll content,protective enzymes activities and their content of organic osmotic regulation substances under 0,200,300,400,500 and 600 mmol·L^-1NaCl.The results showed that:1)under each concentration of NaCl stress,S.meiliensis suffered from the salt damage more severely than S.cavaleriei.As NaCl concentrations increased.2)The chlorophyll content in the leaves of S.cavaleriei had no significant change,but those in the leaves of S.meiliensis decreased gradually.3) When NaCl concentration increased from 0 to 500 mmol·L^-1,S.cavaleriei and S.meiliensis plants responded adaptively to NaCl stress.The POD and CAT activities,as well as soluble sugar,soluble protein and proline contents gradually inceased in the leaves of S.cavaleriei and S.meiliensis.The SOD activity also increased in the leaves of S.meiliensis.4) When NaCl concentration reached to 600 mmol·L^-1,the soluble sugar,soluble protein and proline contents in the leaves of S.meiliensis continued to increase,while the SOD,POD and CAT activities started to drop,but were still significantly higher than those of the control.In contrast,at the same NaCl concentration,the POD and CAT activities in the leaves of S.cavaleriei continued to increase.The soluble sugar,soluble protein and proline contents started to drop,but were still significantly higher than those of the control.S.cavaleriei possesses higher contents of osmotic regulation substances under NaCl stress and can maintain higher protective enzymes activities with increase of NaCl concentration,it has stronger tolerance to NaCl than S.meiliensis.