Ground vegetation consists of herbs, shrubs, ferns and vines, which are easily affected by soil factors because of shallow rooting. In order to assess the response of ground vegetation to topsoil chemical variables, i.e., pH, total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AvN), available phosphorus (AvP), available potassium (AvK), soil organic matter (SOM), and cation exchange capacity (CEC), plant censuses and composite soil samples were collected from Dalingshan and Tongsha of Dongguan, South China, which were based on a grid system of 200 m×200 m superimposed on the topographic map of the study sites. A 400-m2 plot was set up at the center of each of the 38 grid squares for plant census and the collection of a composite soil sample. A total of 18 426 vascular ground plants representing 122 species were recorded, including 12 species of ferns, 52 species of herbs, 13 species of vines and 45 species of shrubs. Multi-response Permutation Procedures (MRPP) showed that variations in species composition of vascular ground vegetation was associated with soil pH, CEC, TN, AvP, and AvK. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) confirmed that CEC, TN and AvK had significant effects on species composition and distribution of the vascular ground flora. Higher abundance in particular groups of vascular ground plant species were found in soils with lower pH or higher contents of AvK, CEC, and TN. Soil TN showed significant negative correlation with Shannon-Wiener index and positive correlation with ecological dominance, whereas soil AvK and CEC were positively correlated with Shannon-Wiener index and soil AvK negatively with ecological dominance. Indicator Species Analysis (ISA) identified 23 vascular ground plant species with significant indicator value ≥ 35 as potential indicators for specific soil factors, which will find wide applications in monitoring and assessment of the soil environment of Dongguan City.