To obtain the appropriate treatment of Phoebe bournei cutting, to explore the regulation mechanism of the rooting and growth of cutting seedlings, we used the L₈(2⁷) orthogonal experimental design to studied effects of branch position, cutting length and leaf retention on P. bournei cutting seedling rooting, growth and physicochemical characteristics. The results showed that: (1) the branch position, cutting length and leaf retention had significant effects on the rooting, growth and physicochemical properties of P. bournei cutting seedlings. (2) For P. bournei cutting seedlings, the middle position of branch with 2 leaves and length of 10 cm as cutting was the most suitable. (3) The main factor affecting the rooting rate of P. bournei cuttings was the physiological state of cuttings, PPO and POD enzyme activities were the key physicochemical indexes. The most important factor affecting the growth of shoots of P. bournei cutting seedlings was the leaf retention, while IAAO enzyme activity and MDA content were the key physicochemical indexes. The results showed that the rooting and growth of P. bournei cutting seedlings were significantly affected by cuttings, laid a foundation for P. bournei cutting propagation and provided theoretical guidance for its application.