As a special type of transitional ecotone, alpine timberline has various environmental factors which show obvious gradient variations with elevation. The species composition and vegetation pattern changes in the timberline ecotone, as well as upper and lower boundary development of timberline and treeline procession, has raised concerns by ecologist and botanists for a long term. Timberline plants with different life-forms, especially woody plants, have different photosynthetic response strategies to timberline adversity, which directly result in the changes in vegetation composition and distribution patterns of timberline, and affect ultimately the formation of the upper and lower boundary of timberline and treeline. Because timberline is one of the most sensitive region in terms of the response of terrestrial ecosystem to global climate change, the photosynthesis of timberline plants have become an important parameter to predict the future dynamic changes there in the context of global climate change. This paper systematically reviewed the research advances on mountain woody plants adaptation to timberline adversity in terms of leaf morphology and structure as well as leaf photosynthetic physiological characteristics. It helps understand the driving factors to the formation of vegetation distribution pattern and changes in species composition, and is also of great reference value for the research on photosynthetic response of timberline plants under the conditions of global climate change.