[Objective] To solve the issues of large coal gangue waste land area and high cost in vegetation restoration in sandy area of Northern Shaanxi Province.[Methods] Three sand thickness(30, 50 and 70 cm) and a semi-covered Artemisia sand barrier(2 m×2 m) were set. Four different kinds of native shrub species including Sabina chinensis, Amygdalus pedunculata, Amorpha fruticosa and Caryopteris mongholica were selected for the experiments.[Results] The survival rate, saving rate, the amount of new growth and diameter had improved due to the increase of sand thickness. Multi-factor variance analysis showed that there were significant differences among different species. Significant differences were found between A. fruticosa Linn and other types, and between C. mongholica Bunge and S. vulgaris(p<0.05). There were no significant difference between C. mongholica Bunge, A. pedunculata Pall and S. vulgaris (p<0.01). There were significant differences among the 30, 50 and 70 cm sand thickness, and there were no significant differences between 50 cm and 70 cm sand.[Conclusion] With the consideration of all factors, a sand thickness of 50 cm is optimal in land reclamation and ecological restoration in the coal gangue waste land.