Atriplex canescens is a C₄ fodder shrub that is excellent for phytore-mediation in saline-alkali environments. However, little is known about the response of this shrub species to salt and alkaline stress and its underlying physiological adaptive mechanisms. In this study, we treated 8-week-old A. canescens seedlings in the lab with neutral salt (NS)(1: 1 molar ratio of NaCl to Na₂ SO₄, pH 6.65-6.95) and alkali salt (AS)(1: 1 molar ratio of NaHCO₃ to Na₂ CO₃, pH 9.75-10.12) at five concentrations (0-400 mM). Our results showed that individual A. canescens seedlings could maintain growth under certain ranges of both NS stress and AS stress. These findings suggest that AS can more strongly inhibit A. canescens seedlings than can NS. This result was attributed to a decrease in photosynthetic ability and damage to Na⁺/K⁺ homeostasis under alkali salinity. Differences were evident in the NS and AS treatments for almost all of the considered parameters.