Apparent competition has great impact on the structure and composition of plant community and is also closely linked to ecosystem functions. However, there is less knowledge of experimental research and mechanical analysis on plant apparent competition in China. We introduced the concepts and summarized the current progress of plant apparent competition in this paper. Apparent competition mediated by herbivore regulates the process of plant competition primarily through providing food and refuge to herbivore and this also is influenced by the interaction between the extended leaf phenology (ELP) and herbivore. Apparent competition mediated by plant usually acts with resource competition. Apparent competition mediated by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) is influenced by the mycorrhizal dependence of plant host, and is related to the demand of AM fungi and the supply of environmental nutrient. In the future, studies on plant apparent competition should focus on the rationality of experimental design and the effectiveness of measuring methods and evaluating parameters. Moreover, researchers should pay much attention on the function of apparent competition at level of plant population and ecosystem. It can not only provide mechanical explanation on the structure of plant community and species coexistence, but also enrich the theories of classical plant competition and food web including interactions of multiple trophic levels.