Abstract: To investigate effects of soil moisture content on the growth and photosynthetic physiological characteristics, Phoebe zhennan saplings of same age and same mother tree were cultivated respectively in different moisture content soil in the Teaching and Research Base of Sichuan Agricultural University (the western margin in the Rainy Zone of West China of the Sichuan Basin). The observation and measurement of soil moisture content were performed respectively in April, June, August and October, and the determinations of morphological indexes were conducted in June, August and October respectively. The results showed that the plant height and ground diameter were higher in the soil of good drainage than those in the moderate or severe waterlogging soil. The photosynthetic efficiency of saplings were also higher in well drained soil. It was of important significance to select proper planting site for P. zhennan.