In order to study the water conservation capacity of the litter in coastal shelterbelt forest on coastal sandy land, the litter accumulation amount, water-holding rate, water-holding capacity and water-absorption rate of different decomposition stages were investigated in four typical plantations with same age (Casuarina equisetifolia forest, Pinus elliottii forest, Eucalyptus urophylla×Eucalyptus grandis forest and Acacia culacocarpa forest) of coastal sandy area by the methods of field survey and laboratory soaking extraction. The results showed that the litter accumulation amount of the four plantations decreased in the order of C. equisetifolia forest (19.12 t/hm²) > P. elliottii forest (17.51 t/hm²) > E. urophylla×E. grandis forest (10.90 t/hm²) > A. culacocarpa forest (10.13 t/hm²), and the percentage of litter accumulation amount in semi-decomposed layer was higher than that in un-decomposed litter. The maximum water-holding rate of the four plantations was 140.55%~206.47%, which followed the order of E. urophylla×E. grandis forest > A. culacocarpa forest > C. equisetifolia forest > P. elliottii forest. The maximum water-holding capacity was 20.75~30.85 t/hm², which was sorted as C. equisetifolia forest > P. elliottii forest > E. urophylla×E. grandis forest > A. culacocarpa forest. The maximum water-holding rate and maximum water-holding capacity of litter in the four plantations were both greater in semi-decomposed litter layer than those in un-decomposed litter layer, and the water-holding rate and water-holding capacity of litter also changed logarithmically with immersing time at different decomposition stages. The average water-absorption rate at different decomposition stages varied greatly in the first 0.25 hours among the four plantations, in the un-decomposed layer, the water-absorption rate of E. urophylla×E. grandis forest was the maximum (2.05 mm/h), and in the semi-decomposed litter layer, the maximum value (4.32 mm/h) was found in P. elliottii forest. The litter water-absorption rate presented a power function with immersing time at the different decomposition stages. The effective interception depth of litter was in the order of C. equisetifolia forest (2.45 mm) > P. elliottii forest (2.04 mm) > E. urophylla×E. grandis forest (1.87 mm) > A. culacocarpa forest (1.72 mm). On the whole, the litter of C. equisetifolia forest had the strongest water-holding capacity, followed by P. elliottii forest, E. urophylla×E. grandis forest and A. culacocarpa forest, indicating that C. equisetifolia forest and P. elliottii forest were more conducive to water conservation in coastal sandy area.