【Objective】 In order to explore the α diversity of herbaceous plants under artificial forests of Platycla- dus orientalis in the North and South Mountains of Lanzhou and its influencing factors.【Method】 Taking the artifi‐ cial same age pure forest of Platycladus orientalis in the North and South Mountains of Lanzhou as the research ob‐ ject, the sample method was used to study the changes of α Diversity of understory herbaceous plants.【Result】1) There were 39 species of herbaceous plants under Platycladus orientalis plantation in the North and South Mountains of Lanzhou, of which 13 species appeared in both mountains,30 species appeared in the South Mountain area and 22 species appeared in the North Mountain area. 2) The main influencing factors of ɑ diversity in the herbaceous layer of Platycladus orientalis artificial forest in the North and South Mountains of Lanzhou were altitude, slope direction and slope. The species diversity decreased with the increase of altitude. As to the variation of species diversity with slope direction, it shows that the variation of shady slope was greater than that of sunny slope. And the species evenness de‐ creased with the increase of slope. 3) The herbaceous layer community under Platycladus orientalis plantation in the North and South Mountains of Lanzhou showed positive succession as a whole, and the succession process of herba‐ ceous layer community under the forest in the South Mountain area was faster than that in the North Mountain area. 【Conclusion】 The α diversity of the understory herbaceous layer of Platycladus orientalis in the North and South Mountains of Lanzhou was low,but the development trend was good.