The mixed forest of Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus is the typical shelterbelt construction mode in the east sandy land of the Yellow River in Ningxia, China. Research on the water use strategies of Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus could provide scientific basis for restoration regional vegetation and stand structure optimization allocation of shelter forest. In this study, the sap flow of Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus was monitored continuously to clarify the characteristics of water consumption by transpiration which calculated by Granier and its correction formula, as well as simultaneous records of micro-meteorological factors and gravimetric soil water content. Combined with stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope analysis of rainfall, soil water and plant xylem water, the water source and water use relationship among symbiotic trees were quantitatively analyzed by Bayesian mixture model (MixSIAR) and the proportional similarity index (PS). The results showed that the water consumption of Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus were higher in the middle growing season, but lower in the early and late growing season. The water consumption of Robinia pseudoacacia was 1.55 times larger than Euonymus bungeanus. The main environmental factors affecting water consumption of Robinia pseudoacacia were vapour pressure deficit, solar radiation, 0-40 cm gravimetric soil water content and 40-120 cm gravimetric soil water content. The main environmental factors affecting water consumption of Euonymus bungeanus were vapour pressure deficit, solar radiation, average temperature, 0-40 cm gravimetric soil water content and 40-120 cm gravimetric soil water content. Robinia pseudoacacia mainly used the middle layer soil water and Euonymus bungeanus mainly used the shallow layer soil water in the season with high water consumption. While the shallow layer soil water and the middle layer soil water were ultilized by Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus separately in the season with lower tree water consumption. In addition, Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus was able to deal with drought and maintain their own water consumption mainly through the spatial difference of water use strategy under drought seasons. In the seasons when gravimetric soil water content was higher, the proportional similarity index (PS) of Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus was the highest, and there was a strong water competition relationship. The higher of shallow layer gravimetric soil water content might reflect a trade-off between water and nutrient requirements of plants under the effect of soil water redistribution by plant roots in the sandy land.