Abstract:Shrub is an important part of scenic forest. Although its biomass is smaller, it is very important that the shrub improves landscape quality, communities diversity, etc in understory. According to surveying on understory vegetation, the analytical hierarchy process ( AHP) was applied for evaluation using 11 evaluation indexes from the three aspects including environment suitability, ornamental value and utilization potentiality. Shrub species of understory of scenic forest were investigated and evaluated comprehensively, which mainly could be distributed in Pearl River Delta. The 70 species were classified into three grades, including LevelⅠ, 13 species was the highest; Level Ⅱ, 20 species was higher; LevelⅢ, 37 species was general. In landscape construction of understory vegetation of scenic forest, the species of LevelⅠshould give priority to development, and were adapted to predominant tree species; the species of Level Ⅱ had certain advantages compared with species of Level Ⅲ and were adapted to main tree species; the species of Level Ⅲ were adapted to general species, and the species which were high ornamental value were adapted to characteristic tree species in shrub layer.