The paper presents the results of a preliminary survey of the wild ornamental plant resource in Gaolan islands, Guangdong Province. According to the results of investigation, a total of 90 famlies, 153 genera and 198 species of ornamental plants were identified in Gaolan islands, including 9 families ,9 genera and 9 species of the Pteridophytes; 3 families ,3 genera and 4 species of the Gymnospermae; 78 families , 141 genera and 185 species of the Angiospermae. Based on the characters and utilizations of the resource, some suggestions about how to rationally exploit and protect them are put forward.