Vitex tifolia var. Simplicafolia grown on the sandy coast of Yantai, China, was chosen as the material for this study. In these experiments, basis on stolonlength, the four levels of sand burial treatments were set up: no-sand burial, light sand burial (1/3 lengths of the stolon), moderate sand burial (2/3 lengths of the stolon), and severe sand burial (3/3 lengths of the stolon). In each sand burial treatment, the stolon was buried at two different depths, to half the shoot height and the full plant height. After 20 days of sand-burial, various parameters were measured, including the length of the stolon and adventitious roots, shoot height, and soluble sugar, starch, and cellulose content, to determine how carbohydrate conversion in the stolon of V. tifolla contributed to plant resistance to sand burial. The results showed that compared to the control without sand-burial, the stolon was much longer following light and moderate treatments (i.e., half or full height of shoot), and had new adventitious roots, higher soluble sugar and starch content and lower cellulose content In particular, under the light half sand burial treatment, the top of the V. tifolla stolon grew fast, and had the highest starch content, lowest cellulose content, and low soluble sugar content. However, under severe half sand burial and severe full sand burial treatments, the stolons grew very slowly, had higher cellulose content and lower starch content. These results indicate that sand burial represents a type of stress to these plants, which damaged the leaves and disturbed the normal balance of carbohydrate metabolism in the stolons, but also signaled the plant to activate their adaptive response. During the adaptive response, the conversion of carbohydrates was accelerated at the top of the stolon, so that cellulose content declined, while starch and soluble sugar content increased. This response may provide more nutrients and energy for the top of the stolon to grow quickly and protrude above the sand. Alternatively, cellulose in the stolon subjected to sand burial may be degraded to provide energy and nutrients to the damaged stolon to grow and survive, in addition to enhancing the growth of adventitious roots. Our results indicate that V. trifolia overcomes burial through the quick growth of the top of stolon and new adventitious roots, with carbohydrate conversion providing the energy resource and nutrition for growth. Thus, carbohydrate conversion is correlated with the capacity of the V. trifolia stolon to resist sand burial. Moreover, the capacity of V. trifolia to adapt to sand burial shows that this species exhibits phenotypic plasticity, which is important for regulating the carbohydrate balance and sustaining the stolon under sand-burial.