Abstract: The paper aims to summarize the research status of Phellodendron chinense Schneid, which has high medical value, by means of reviewing nearly 60 years’ relevant researches on chemical content analysis, effective medical ingredient determination, medical ingredient content impact factors, medical ingredient extraction methods, field distribution, cultivation and propagation techniques. Among these researches, effective medical ingredient determination, impact factors and extraction methods have been studied intensively. Much knowledge about the field distribution can be obtained through current literatures which imply that this species distributes in extensive Yangtze River watershed. In the light of the high medical value of Phellodendron chinense Schneid, researches on cultivation and propagation should be emphasized, at the same time, those studies should be launched in future on physiological ecology and life history characters, population dynamics, genetic diversity, etc., so that this species can be understood further from individual to community scale and plants can be cultivated successfully to alleviate wild resources pressure.