To understand the ecological strategies of different marsh plants in subalpine forests of eastern Zhejiang, twelve typical marsh plants in Siming Mountain, Zhejiang Province, were collected, and their main functional traits were statistically compared. Results showed that:(1) the plant functional traits in different marsh plants exhibited some degrees of variation. The maximum coefficient of variation (CV) was leaf density (216.16%), while the minimum was relative chlorophyll content (22.84%), with the average variation reached to 112.86%. (2) Leaf perimeter was significantly positively correlated with leaf area, leaf dry weight, leaf length and leaf length to width ratio (P<0.05). Leaf shape index was significantly negatively correlated with leaf area, leaf length, leaf length to width ratio and leaf density (P<0.05). Thorn was significantly positively correlated with specific leaf area (P<0.05), and life history was significantly positively correlated with relative chlorophyll content (P<0.05). Rhizome or stolon was negatively correlated with leaf shape index (P<0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between growth type and heterophylly (P<0.05). (3) The cumulative contribution rate of the first three principal components of the 17 functional traits principal component analysis (PCA) reached 71.47%, which can be comprehensively characterized and summarized as follows:the quality and size of plant leaves (35.72%), the effect on water and nitrogen absorption (18.74%), the ability of plants to resist herbivores and self-protection ability under strong light (17.01%). (4) The species-functional trait ranking diagram combined with UPGMA cluster analysis supports the division of 12 plants into two functional groups. The first functional group includes Sagittaria trifolia and Hemerocallis fulva, adopting a "high investment-slow returns" strategy, while the second functional group contains the remaining 10 plants, adopting a "low investment-quick returns" strategy. In conclusion, the variation of plant functional traits was abundant in Simingshan marsh, and the species have formed different plant functional groups through the combination and the trade-off between functional traits, hence improving the adaptability of the heterogeneous marsh habitat in the mountainous marsh.