Previous studies mainly focused on warming effects on plant growth and nutrient concentrations in boreal and temperate forests, while warming effects on those in tropical forest are far from clear. In order to improve our understanding on nutrient utilization strategies of different plant species under warming in subtropical forest, we conducted a simulated warming experiment. We conducted a 3-year warming by 2.26 ℃ (air temperature, P<0.05) of infrared heating to investigate warming effects on the concentrations of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) among different organs (leaf, branch, stem, coarse root and fine root) of four plant species (Schima superba, Castanopsis hystrix, Syzygium rehderianum, and Ormosia pinnata, annual seedling). Our results showed that warming decreased the growth of S. superba (after 1 year of warming) and S. rehderianum, but increased the growth of C. hystrix and O. pinnata (except for June 2017). Warming significantly decreased the P concentrations (P<0.05) in the fine roots of S. superba by 1.91%, in the stems of C. hystrix by 18.70%, and the branches of O. pinnata by 46.07%, respectively. Warming significantly increased the N concentrations (P<0.05) in the fine roots of O. pinnata, but decreased that in the leaf (P<0.05), while it had no effect on the N concentrations for other three tree species. The N∶P ratio in the stems of S. superba and in the fine roots of O. pinnata was significantly increased by 30.42% and 90.29%, respectively (P<0.05). The leaf soluble sugars concentrations in S. superba and C. hystrix were significantly increased by warming (P<0.05). Our results indicated that there were interspecies differences in their physiology and growth in response to warmer climate, such that C. hystrix and O. pinnata would benefit from warming, but not for S. superba and S. rehderianum, which would change the competitive balance and species composition of this forest in future warming.