Background and aims <p>Plant-soil feedbacks impact climate-driven plant expansions. However, how canopy-induced soil heterogeneity affects these feedbacks, particularly in climatically stressful high-elevation sites, remains unclear.</p> Methods <p>This study investigates whether soil carbon (C),&#xa0;soil nitrogen (N), carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios, soil pH, and soil water holding capacity influence alpine juniper radial growth in 22 sites across the central Himalayas by comparing two microsites (under canopy and bare ground).</p> Results <p>Soil C, N ,C/N, and water holding capacity&#xa0;were higher under the canopy than outside canopy, while soil pH exhibited no significant differences between the two situations. The growth rate of juniper shrubs was negatively correlated with the soil C/N ratio measured under the juniper canopies. Soil pH and soil water holding capacity under the canopy exhibited negative and positive relationships, respectively, with the growth rate of alpine juniper shrubs. These findings suggest that differences in soil nutrient availability, organic matter decomposition and soil moisture availability between microsites contribute to explain shrub growth variability. Soil nitrogen availability under the juniper canopies was a major driver of shrub growth, emphasizing the key role played by canopy-related soil heterogeneity and microsite soil conditions.</p> Conclusion <p>These findings highlight the importance of shrub-soil feedbacks in stressful alpine ecosystems, where canopy-induced changes in soil properties may promote shrub growth and enhance upward expansion.</p>