Haloxylon ammodendron is an important sand-fixing plant in the desert area of north China,which has a very strong ability to survive in high temperature, drought, severe cold and barren desert environment. Evapotranspiration, as the main component of water balance and energy balance in arid desert ecosystem, is an important link between its ecological process and hydrological process. It is of great significance to study the energy balance and evapotranspiration of Haloxylon ammodendron community for scientific management of water resources, protection and construction of ecological vegetation, improvement of ecological environment and maintenance of oasis stability. Based on the meteorological and energy data measured by the Bowen ratio system on the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut Desert in 2018, the energy balance and evapotranspiration characteristics of the Haloxylon ammodendron community were analyzed by Bowen ratio-energy balance method. The results showed that during the growth period of Haloxylon ammodendron, the daily changes of solar net radiation and soil heat flux were distributed in a single peak. The highest value of net radiant flux appears at around 13:30 noon. The appearance time of the maximum value of soil heat flux had a hysteresis, which was delayed by 2 h than the net radiation. Bowen ratio changed steadily throughout the day in the strong growth period. For the germination period and the withering period, Bowen ratio was relatively stable in daytime, unstable during nighttime. Haloxylon ammodendron grew in an arid and waterless environment for a long time, and the evapotranspiration became smaller. Therefore, sensible heat energy transfer was main component in growth season. Under sunny and rainy days, the daily evapotranspiration in the strong growth period was significantly greater than that in the germination period and the withering period. The daily evapotranspiration showed a double-peak type in the strong growth period, a single-peak type in the germination period and the withering period. The evapotranspiration in the growing season of Haloxylon ammodendron was 279.67 mm, and the average daily evapotranspiration intensity was 1.31 mm/d. The evapotranspiration of Haloxylon ammodendron community was affected by weather, self-growth characteristics and soil moisture. The evapotranspiration intensity began to increase gradually in April and decreased in June due to rainy weather. The evapotranspiration reached its maximum in July. Because of the lack of moisture and temperature in September-October, the physiological state of Haloxylon ammodendron started to wither and fall, and the intensity of evapotranspiration decreased sharply.