In mountain forest ecosystems, elevation is a key topographic factor that affects the growth and distribution of vegetation. In order to investigate the variation patterns of the characteristics of tree radial growth in response and adaptation to climate change along an elevation gradient, we took Quercus wutaishanica, a dominant tree species in Dongling Mountain, Beijing, as the research object. Standardized chronologies of Q.wutaishanica was established by using dendrochronological methods to quantify and compare the correlation between radial growth and climatic factors as well as ecological resilience to extreme drought events across three distinct elevation zones (800 m, 1100 m, and 1400 m). The results of the study showed that: 1) With increasing elevation, the response of radial growth of Q.wutaishanica to climatic factors gradually strengthened, and was generally positively correlated with precipitation and the Standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI) during the growing season. The climate sensitivity of Q.wutaishanica at low elevation (800 m) was very low, and its growth was significantly affected by the minimum temperature and precipitation in September of the current year. At mid-elevation (1100 m), the climate sensitivity of Q.wutaishanica remained relatively low, and its growth was promoted by precipitation and SPEI from April to July of the current year. At high elevation (1400 m), Q.wutaishanica demonstrated high climate sensitivity, with elevated temperatures exerting a significant negative effect on growth, while precipitation and SPEI in May-August of the current year significantly promoted its growth; 2) As drought intensity increased, the growth of Q.wutaishanica at all elevations was stressed by extreme drought, showing the trend of lower resistance and higher recovery. At low elevations, resistance of Q.wutaishanica was consistently at a high level while recovery was relatively at a low level, though both recovery and resilience improved significantly after the occurrence of severe drought event, with an increase of 61.91% and 31.9%, respectively. At mid-elevation, resistance, recovery, and resilience of Q.wutaishanica were all at a high level, indicating better ecological adaptability. At high elevation, the recovery of Q.wutaishanica was higher, but the resistance and resilience were at a lower level and decline sharply with the aggravation of drought, declining by 67.58% and 38.83%, respectively, and the inhibitory effect of drought stress on its growth was more significant. The results of this study provide a reference for predicting the dynamic patterns of growth and distribution of Q.wutaishanica along the elevation gradient in Dongling Mountain in the context of ongoing climate change, and are crucial for the conservation and management of mountain forests.