Soil salinization is a hot issue that threatens plant growth and hinders agricultural development. This study used VOSviewer and Citespace software to conduct a bibliometric analysis of 1362 articles on the effects of saline-alkali soil on plant growth from the Web of Science Core Database for 1 January 2000, to 30 November 2022. The analysis revealed that research on the impact of saline-alkali soil on plant growth has been ongoing since 2000, with a notable surge in publications until 2016. It is projected that the number of publications will reach 309 by 2025, nearly three times the count in 2016. The interdisciplinary nature of this research is evident, encompassing fields such as animal science, plant biology, ecology, and zoology, and has progressively diversified over time. Through cooperative network analysis, China, the country with the most publications, has dramatically contributed to close cooperation with the United States, India, and other countries. The literature co-citation analysis shows the evolution of research in this field, from exploring the salt tolerance mechanism of plants to improving plant salt tolerance through soil improvement and plant transformation. The four clusters of keywords represent the 4 primary research directions in this field: the mechanism of plant salt tolerance in saline-alkali soil, the effect of salt stress on crop yield, the synergistic effect of microorganisms and plants, and the response of plants to organic amendments such as biochar under salt stress. This study provides a reference for scholars who study the effects of saline-alkali soil on plant growth in the development history, development trend, and popular research direction.