Abstract: The paper aims to study the change law of elements content of medicinal plant Radix Codonopsis lanceolatae of different growth years. The contents of macro-element K, Ca, Na, Mg and trace element Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Cr, Cd, Pb, V, Sn were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry using nitric acid as digestion agent for microwave digestion. The macroelements and trace elements of Radix Codonopsis lanceolatae of different growth years and different cultivars were compared. The results showed that, the content of Ca and Mg increased with the growth years; the content of Na increased first and then decreased with the growth years; the content of K had no significant change with the growth years, and the content of K of two years plant was the highest, which was 20.94 g/kg. The content of Cu, Cd and Sn increased first and then decreased with the growth years, but the content of Fe and Cr decreased first and then increased. The content of Zn, Mn and Ni showed a decreasing tendency with the growth years, and the content of Co, Pb and V showed a low-high-low-high trend with the growth years.