Chelidonium majus belongs to Papaveraceae family, and the whole plant can be used as a Chinese traditional herbal medicine. By using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method, the characteristic parameters of the plant life cycle forms, i.e. PCA scores and proportions of Vegetative growth (V), Sexual growth (S) and Clonal growth (C) of Chelidonium majus populations at different habitats (including open land, a Ulmus pumila plantation and a Picea meyeri plantation) were quantitatively calculated, then the correlations between these characteristic parameters and the contents of alkaloids, tannin and flavonoids were analyzed in this paper. Our aim is to provide an experimental basis for the directionally inductive cultivations of Chinese herbs for getting an increase in its active substances. The results were as follows. (1) The plant life cycle forms of Chelidonium majus differed between habitats. when grown at full sun light at the open land was characterized as V0.34 S0.41 C0.25, which was a SV sub-form of the plant life cycle form, showing the habitat here was a DE (Disturbed but still Excellent) habitat for the growth of this herb; when grown in the Ulmus pumila and Picea meyeri plantations were characterized as V0.28 S0.38 C0.34 and V0.27 S0.40 C0.33, which were SC sub-form of the plant life cycle form, showing the habitat here were DF (Disturbed and Fragile) habitats for the growth of this herb. (2) The contents of secondary metabolites including tannin, flavonoids and alkaloids in Chelidonium majus in the open land were all lower than those in the Ulmus pumila and Picea meyeri plantations. The contents of tannin in different organs were leaves > seeds > roots > stems; the contents of flavonoids were seeds > leaves > roots > stems; the contents of alkaloids were leaves > roots > stems. There are no significant differences in the contents of alkaloids in stems and roots of Chelidonium majus in different habitats, the content of alkaloids in Chelidonium majus leaves in the open land was, respectively, 59% and 56.7% lower than those in the Ulmus pumila and Picea meyeri plantations. (3) There appeared significant linear correlation relationship between the plant life cycle forms of Chelidonium majus and the contents of tannin, flavonoids and alkaloids. The contents of secondary metabolites (tannin, flavonoids and alkaloids) of Chelidonium majus were negatively correlated with the Vegetative and Sexual growth, and positively correlated with the Clone growth. The results indicate the DF habitats in the Ulmus pumila and Picea meyeri plantations were poor comparing to DE habitat in the open land, which changed Chelidonium majus to C form and improved the accumulation of secondary metabolites (tannin, flavonoids and alkaloids). All these results can provide morphological methods and theory on evaluation for the habitat selection and directional accumulation of objective active components in the artificially directive breeding of wild plants.