The Loess Plateau is one of the most ecologically fragile and severely affected regions in the world, primarily due to severe soil erosion. The prolonged drought and insufficient precipitation in the area have posed significant challenges to the region's ecological environment, threatening both biodiversity and land productivity, with potential consequences for local agricultural activities. To reveal the differences in radial growth responses of different shrub species in the western plateau to climate change, this study analyzed annual ring samples of two dominant afforestation shrub species, Tamarix ramosissima and Caragana korshinskii, from three study sites in the western Loess Plateau. Pearson correlation analysis and the climwin climate response model were used to quantify the radial growth of these two species and their climate response characteristics to temperature, precipitation, and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The results showed that insufficient precipitation during the growing season, particularly from April to May, is the primary climatic factor limiting the growth of both species, with drought having a particularly significant negative impact on tree growth. According to the climwin model, Caragana korshinskii’s growth is less affected by drought stress, with its climate response windows observed in January-February and April-June. The drought model explained 10.4% and 19.3% of the growth variation, respectively. In contrast, Tamarix ramosissima is more affected by drought stress during the growing season, particularly from February to June, with the drought model explaining 16.2% of its growth variation. Overall, both Caragana korshinskii and Tamarix ramosissima exhibited good drought adaptability, with Caragana korshinskii’s drought resilience gradually increasing with tree age. Based on these findings, this study suggests that tree species should be selected based on environmental conditions and planting needs within the same region: prioritize planting Caragana korshinskii in relatively arid areas, with appropriate irrigation to support the growth of young trees, and consider planting Tamarix ramosissima in relatively moist areas, optimizing growth conditions by implementing pruning or thinning measures in later stages. This study also reveals the differences in ecological adaptability between species in the context of climate change and suggests that vegetation restoration and afforestation management should scientifically plan species selection based on climate adaptability and drought response characteristics to enhance the sustainability of ecological restoration. This research provides valuable scientific guidance for afforestation management and ecological restoration in the Loess Plateau and other similar ecologically vulnerable regions, helping improve the ecological recovery capacity and ecological service functions in these areas, while contributing to the long-term sustainability of local ecosystems and regional ecological resilience.