Recruitment limitation, which occurs when seeds do not germinate and successfully develop into saplings, can result from three broadly defined mechanisms: (i) source limitation, which occurs when recruitment is limited by low population-level seed availability; (ii) dissemination limitation, which occurs when recruitment is limited by a failure of dispersing seeds to reach potential recruitment sites; and (iii) establishment limitation, which occurs when recruitment is limited by unsuitable biotic or abiotic environmental conditions. Recruitment limitation is an active research area for community ecologists as it potentially explains biodiversity patterns. In this article, we review research on recruitment limitation including source limitation, dissemination limitation and establishment limitation. Source limitation may occur in the early stages of plant regeneration and it is affected by small population sizes, temporal changes of plant productivity and habitat patch quality. Spatiotemporal changes in the condition are the main factors influencing plant recruitment. Mast seeding and high habitat patch quality may attract frugivores, helping plants avoid source limitation. Dispersal rate and distance, as well as frugivore behavior, could affect plant dissemination limitation which is the most important cycle in recruitment limitation. A lack of effective dispersers will reduce the number of seeds dispersed, which restricts recruitment. But high quality of seeds may help it escape limitation. For distance-restricted recruitment, recruitment patterns of plant species conform to those predicted by the Janzen-Connell hypothesis. Species with seeds capable of long distance dispersal are less impacted by spatially non-random mortality than those with seeds moving shorter distances. Through coevolution, the specific dispersal kernel of a plant population should be an evolutionary stable strategy that optimizes plant recruitment. For plants restricted by the behavior of animal dispersal vectors, non-random movement of frugivores would lead to seed aggregation, causing high density-dependent mortality. Different dispersers can make different contributions to recruitment. However, predators always decrease the density of seeds and seedlings. Few studies have incorporated animal behavior into seed dispersal models; a modified model incorporating animal behavior can better reflect the pattern of recruitment. Environmental factors play important roles in establishment limitation. At small scales, environmental conditions can affect seedling recruitment. For instance, soil nutrients are important for seedling growth and poor or excessive soil nutrients may limit growth. Seedling growth is also influenced by water availability. Shade-tolerant species can adapt to low light conditions, but late-succession species need better light conditions. Seedlings show greater survival and growth in canopy gaps than beneath the canopy. Living with heterospecific neighborhood can enhance seedling growth. At large scales, different vegetation types vary in their suitability for sapling establishment. However, plant species can avoid habitat limitation by attracting animal dispersal vectors. Future research should focus on developing a mechanistic model of plant recruitment limitation by incorporating behavior of dispersers and predators, and the spatial pattern of seedlings. Forest and wildlife managers also need to work together to account for spatial mechanisms of recruitment limitation for rare species over the long-term.