In order to reveal the responses of the radial growth of different tree species to climate and its adaptability to extreme drought in the middle of the Loess Plateau, the tree-ring width chronologies of Pinus tabulaeformis, Sophora viciifolia and Rosa xanthina were developed based on the samples collected from Renjiatai Forest Farm in Yan'an. The Palmer Drought Index (PDSI) were used to define the extreme drought events, and calculate the drought frequency and drought intensity. The tree-ring widths were used to quantify the resistance, recovery and resilience of radial growth to extreme drought events. The Pearson correlation analysis results showed that Pinus tabulaeformis was negatively correlated with monthly mean temperature and monthly mean maximum temperature in May, but was positively correlated with monthly mean maximum temperature in September, monthly total precipitation in November of the previous year, and monthly mean relative humidity in July; Sophora viciifolia was negatively correlated with monthly mean temperature in September of the previous year, monthly mean maximum temperature in July, monthly mean temperature and monthly mean maximum temperature in August. Rosa xanthine was negatively correlated with monthly mean temperature and monthly mean maximum temperature in July. Radial growth of all species were positively correlated with the monthly mean PDSI. Increased drought intensity reduced the drought resistance of the trees, and thus weakened resistance and resilience of Pinus tabulaeformis and Sophora viciifolia. The results also showed that the resistance of Sophora viciifolia was stronger than that of Pinus tabulaeformis, the recovery of Pinus tabulaeformis was stronger than that of shrubs, the recovery of Sophora viciifolia was stronger than that of Rosa xanthine, and the resilience of Rosa xanthine was stronger than that of Sophora viciifolia.