Salicylic acid (SA) is a phenolic derivative found in a wide range of plant species. SA is involved in physiological processes of plant growth, development and flowering. In the field of stress physiology, salicylic acid was first demonstrated to play a role in responses to biotic stress. Nowadays more and more reports indicated that salicylic acid also plays a role in plant responses to abiotic stress. This review covers recent literature on the application of salicylic acid which enhanced heat tolerance in vegetables, fruit trees, and ornamental plants. Possible mechanisms of salicylic acid involvement in the plant responses to heat stress were also discussed.