Abstract: To investigate the shade tolerance of 5 varieties of Melastomataceae plants,3 levels of shading(i.e.,0,60 and 80%) were applied in this study.By determining the ratio of leaf area,the longest section distance,chlorophyll and soluble sugar content,the plant's tolerance to shading was determined.The results showed that Wufeng Melastoma intermedium Dunn and Changtai Melastoma intermedium Dunn exhibited a stronger shade tolerance,while Tibouchina aspera var.asperrima,Melastoma normale and Melastoma affine were less tolerant to shading.