In this study, five common annual halophytes (Salicornia europaea, Suaeda acuminate, Petrosimonia sibirica, Salsola subcrassa, Kochia scoparia) in hungriness-oasis ecotone of south border region of Gurbantonggut Desert were grown in undisturbed saline soil and sandy soil, and their growth and mineral constituents in shoots were compared. The results showed that: 1) the pH value of the undisturbed saline soil was lower, while electrical conductivity and water content were significantly higher than those of the sandy soil in each of the soil layers from 0 to 100 cm in depth; 2) shoot dry weight (DW) of plants grown in the saline soil was 7 to 118 times higher than DW of plants grown in the sandy soil, and the root/shoot DW ratio of plants in the sandy soil was 2 to 6 times higher; 3) water contents in shoots of these annual halophytes ranged from 52% to 81%. The differences in shoot water content in the mid and low salt-resistant halophytes grown in both soils was significant (P<0.05), while that in the super salt-resistant halophytes grown in both soils were similar; 4) shoot N concentration of the 5 annual halophytes ranged from 11 to 34 g/kg and the higher the available N in soil, the higher the N concentration in shoots of these plants. Shoot P concentration ranged 1-4 g/kg. The correlations between the shoot P concentration and the available soil P were similar to that for N (except for S. europaeae). By contrast, shoot K concentration of the plants grown in sandy soil was higher than that of plants grown in saline soil, although K concentration in the 0-60 cm soil was higher in the saline soil than that in the sandy soil; 5) although the contents of the soluble Ca, Mg, Na, S and Cl in each layer of the soils from 0 to 100 cm in depth in saline soil were significantly higher than those in sandy soil, the ratios of the Na, Cl and S concentrations in shoots of plants grown in saline soil to those in sandy soil were far lower than those in the both soils, and even Ca and Mg concentrations in shoots of the plants grown in saline soil were equal or significantly lower than those in sandy soil. The results indicate that the saline soil significantly affects not only the growth of annual halophytes, but also the uptake and accumulation of the mineral nutrients by plants. The results could provide clues for the further studies on the adaptive mechanisms of halophytes to saline soil, and help select plant species for phytoremediation of saline soil.