Few studies have explored how – within the same system – clonality and positive plant‐plant interactions might interact to regulate plant community composition. Canopy‐dwelling epiphytes in species‐rich forests provide an ideal system for studying this because many epiphytic vascular plants undertake clonal growth and because vascular epiphytes colonize canopy habitats after the formation of non‐vascular epiphyte (i.e. bryophyte and lichen) mats.

We investigated how clonal integration of seven dominant vascular epiphytes influenced inter‐specific interactions between vascular epiphytes and non‐vascular epiphyte mats in a subtropical montane moist forest in Southwest China.

Both clonal integration and environmental buffering from non‐vascular epiphytes increased survival and growth of vascular epiphytes. The benefits of clonal integration for vascular epiphytes were higher when non‐vascular epiphytes were removed. Similarly, facilitation from non‐vascular epiphytes played a more important role when clonal integration of vascular epiphytes was eliminated. Overall, clonal integration had greater benefits than inter‐specific facilitation.