Psammophytes are the main plants for improving the environmental quality and controlling desertification because of its large resource quantity, rapid growth and wide planting area, but their feeding value has not been fully utilized. At present, due to large-scale and intensive development of animal husbandry, there is a lack of pasture, and the supply of commercial pasture is seriously insufficient, resulting in an ever-increasing contradiction between livestock and pasture. Because of the stubble harvest of the psammophytes, it is crucially important to fully explore its potential feeding value, develop and produce the unconventional feeds and promote the development of animal husbandry and ecological restoration in desert and semi-desert areas of China. In this study, 14 kinds of nutrients (such as crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), K, Na and Ca, et al.) and 17 kinds of amino acids (such as leucine (Leu), lysine (Lys), methionine (Met), cystine (Cys) and threonine (Thr), et al.) in 6 kinds of common psammophytes (Salsola passerina, Reaumuria songarica, Artemisia ordosica, Alhagi sparsifolia, Caragana korshinskii and Agriophyllum squarrosum), which were collected from Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, were analyzed by using the spectroscopy technology. Compared with 4 kinds of conventional feeds (high-quality corn grain, NT-2 paddy, GB-2 soybean and GB-3 alfalfa meal), the contents of nutrients and amino acids and evaluation of the nutritional and potential feed values of 6 kinds of psammophytes were obtained. The results showed that: (1) The CP, EE and mineral element contents of the 6 kinds of psammophytes were all at a relatively higher level, and the CF contents in psammophytes were higher than 13% of dry matter in the diet of lactating cows, equivalent to or better than the above 4 kinds of conventional feeds. (2) 6 kinds of psammophytes in this study, contained 17 kinds of amino acids, and the composition was more balanced based on the results of amino acid chemical score (CS) . The essential amino acid contents and nutritional values of Artemisia ordosica, Alhagi sparsifolia, Caragana korshinskii and Agriophyllum squarrosum were higher than those of high-quality corn grain and NT-2 paddy. Leu and Lys were the first limiting amino acids of the Reaumuria songarica, Alhagi sparsifolia, Caragana korshinskii and Salsola passerina, high-quality corn grain, NT-2 paddy, respectively, while Thr and Met+Cys were the first limiting amino acids of Artemisia ordosica and Agriophyllum squarrosum, GB-2 soybean, GB-3 alfalfa meal, respectively. The results of this study will provide a reliable experimental and theoretical basis for guiding the balance of amino acids in feed and synthesizing amino acids. (3) The results of principal component analysis showed that the nutritional values of Salsola passerina, Caragana korshinskii and Agriophyllum squarrosum were higher than that in conventional feed (GB-3 alfalfa meal), and the nutritional values of the 6 kinds of psammophytes were higher than that of high-quality corn grain and NY-2 paddy. In conclusion, the 6 kinds of psammophytes in this study not only had the characteristics of rapid growth, large above-ground biomass and resistance to mow, but also greater developing potential for forage, which can serve as a good source of feed for desert and semi-desert areas. The results provided a reliable experimental data and theoretical basis for the guidance of amino acid balance and amino acid synthesis.