Abstract: Riparian slopes play an important role in watershed ecosystem. Plant roots can improve the stability of riparian slopes by exerting tensile mechanical properties, which is of great significance to the ecological stability of riparian slopes. However, there is a lack of understanding on the influence from different elevations and drainage methods on tensile properties of dominant herbaceous species along the Yangtze River. Root tensile tests were carried out on the roots of the dominant herbaceous species bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) to study root tensile properties under different elevations and drainage methods. The results showed that: ① The root tensile force of bermudagrass increased with root diameter in power function, but the tensile strength, elongation and elastic modulus decreased with root diameter in power functions. ② The root tensile force, tensile strength and elastic modulus of bermudagrass were positively correlated with the bank elevation, while the elongation was negatively correlated with the bank elevation. ③ The root tensile force, tensile strength and elastic modulus of bermudagrass increased in sequence while the elongation decreased in sequence under the first, second and third stage of slope drainage. The results illustrated the effects of bank elevation and slope drainage on the root tensile properties of bermudagrass, which could provide a theory basis for vegetation measures on the bank slopes of the Yangtze River.