<p>The multifaceted positive influences of nature connectedness on human well-being and global sustainability have been highlighted by numerous studies, while limited research has examined the effect of nature connectedness on adolescents’ academics. Given the growing concern over academic procrastination among adolescents, the extent to which it is influenced by nature connectedness remains unclear. Drawing from attention restoration theory, nature connectedness might modify mindfulness and learning engagement, which could influence adolescent academic procrastination. The study investigated the relationship between the variables above through structural equation modeling with a sample of 585 Chinese adolescents (<i>M</i>_age ± <i>SD</i> = 14.14 ± 1.39, 49.7% male). The findings showed that (1) nature connectedness negatively predicted adolescent academic procrastination. (2) Mindfulness and learning engagement mediated the relationship between nature connectedness and academic procrastination separately and sequentially. (3) No significant gender, educational stage, or family residence differences were found in the research model; however, differences in mediating effects and path coefficients across groups were observed. Enhanced effects of nature connectedness on academic procrastination were observed among subgroups with heightened nature connectedness (i.e., junior high students and urban residents), indicating a “the rich get richer” effect. The findings unveil the association between nature connectedness and adolescents’ academic procrastination. Enhancing nature connectedness, improving mindfulness, and bettering learning engagement can help intervene in academic procrastination. Differentiated intervention strategies are requisite for distinct groups. The research corroborates the supportive function of nature connectedness in adolescents’ academic behaviors, offering theoretical backing for advancing nature education in China and safeguarding adolescents’ academic adjustment.</p>