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<i>Fokienia hodginsii</i> is characterized by shallow and developed lateral roots with no obvious taproot. It can be used as a pioneer tree species for opening up barren land and as a mixed species for creating plantation forests. During the growth process of <i>F. hodginsii</i> seedlings, they are often exposed to heterogeneous nutrient environments and competition for nutrients, water, and space from neighboring plants, which have significant impacts on the growth of <i>F. hodginsii</i>. These impacts are most directly reflected in the root vitality of <i>F. hodginsii</i>, whose physiological changes embody the plant’s adaptability to different heterogeneous nutrient environments and neighbor competition. Herein, high-quality one-year-old <i>F. hodginsii</i> seedlings were subjected to three planting patterns to simulate different competition patterns. The three planting patterns were also exposed to three heterogeneous nutrient environments and a homogeneous nutrient environment (control) to determine the differences in the <i>F. hodginsii</i> seedling growth and root vitality under different heterogeneous nutrient environments and planting patterns. The <i>F. hodginsii</i> seedling height, ground diameter (root neck diameter), and root biomass under the heterospecific neighbor condition were significantly higher than under the single-plant condition. Across heterogeneous nutrient environments, the average seedling height in the N heterogeneous environments was higher than in the P and K heterogeneous environments. The root biomass in the P heterogeneous environment was slightly higher than in the N heterogeneous environment and significantly higher than in the homogeneous and the K heterogeneous environments. Moreover, the average <i>F. hodginsii</i> seedling root vitality under the heterospecific neighbor was the highest, and the root vitality in the N heterogeneous environment was the highest under each planting pattern. The <i>F. hodginsii</i> root catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities under the competition patterns were significantly higher than under the single-plant condition. Additionally, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity under single-plant was higher than under the competition patterns. At the same time, the <i>F. hodginsii</i> root malondialdehyde (MDA) content was the highest under the conspecific neighbor. Relative to the homogeneous environment, the root CAT, SOD, and POD activities were increased in the N and P heterogeneous environments. The CAT, SOD, and POD activities were highest in the P heterogeneous environment, while the K heterogeneous environment had the highest average MDA content. From the results of principal component analysis, when <i>F. hodginsii</i> seedlings were in N and P heterogeneous nutrient environments and heterospecific neighbor, their growth, root biomass accumulation, and root activity indexes reached better levels.