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• We applied a model to explore the response of spruce and pine growth to drought. • Both species were sensitive to early-growing-season soil moisture availability. • The mean contribution of soil moisture were above 80% for both tree species. • The two tree species displayed similar patterns of resilience to drought. Understanding the mechanisms for how tree growth responds to drought is important for forest conservation and management in semi-arid regions, particularly under ongoing climate change. However, most previous studies have been relied on linear statistical analysis, unsupported by insights into tree physiological processes. In this study, we applied process-based Vaganov–Shashkin (VS) model to investigate the stem radial growth response and resilience of Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) and Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis) to intense drought in semi-arid region of China from 1960 to 2013. Correlation analysis indicated that soil moisture availability in the early growing season (May to July) significantly limit stem growth for both tree species, but Chinese pine was affected more strongly by drought legacies. The model results validated our statistical modeling results, and quantified the effects of temperature and soil moisture on the intra-seasonal variation of the relative stem radial growth rate. The influence of soil moisture on the relative stem radial growth rate during the early growing season was significantly higher for positive pointer years (years with greater than mean growth) than for negative pointer years (years with less than mean growth) for both tree species. Interestingly, the two species displayed similar patterns of growth resilience in response to drought. Based on our successful application of the VS model, our results provide important insights into the two main tree species in the semi-arid Helan Mountains, and offer a new perspective on tree growth processes and their varying responses and resilience to drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]