The trace elements in Chinese herbal medicines are important nutritional elements for human health. Application of ICP-AES was applied to detect Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Mg of the different parts and size grading on growth of Cistanche tubulosa. The results showed that there were comparatively rich trace elements in Cistanche tubulosa, and the trace elements of the different parts and size grading on growth were significantly different. Traditionally, the succulent stem and 200-500 grams of Cistanche tubulosa are common in the use of medicinal herbs, and the authors found that the iron, manganese, copper, zinc and magnesium were 242.18, 17.85, 7.96, 6.64 and 1 357.50 microg x g(-1) in the succulent stem of Cistanche tubulosa. There were 174.21, 4.48, 8.11, 4.31 and 1 126.93 microg x g(-1) in 200-500 grams of Cistanche tubulosa. It provided useful data for discussing the relationship between the content of the trace elements and the efficacy of Cistanche tubulosa.