Nitrogen (N) deposition and drought are two major stressors that influence tree growth and propagation. However, few studies have investigated their interactions. In this study, saplings of the two co-occurring species Ormosia pinnata (leguminous) and Schima superba (non-leguminous) were cultivated under two N addition rates (0 and 80 kg N ha –1 year –1) with well-watered (WW, 80% of field capacity), moderate drought (MD, 60% of field capacity), and severe drought conditions (SD, 40% of field capacity). We examined their growth, as well as multiple anatomical and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) responses, after 2 years. Results revealed that N addition significantly promoted the growth of MD-stressed S. superba, whereas no significant effect was detected in O. pinnata. Decreased leaf water potential (both Ψ md and Ψ pd) was also observed with N addition for both species under MD, but not under SD. Furthermore, the application of N positively impacted drought adaptive responses in the stem xylem of S. superba, showing decreased stem xylem vessel diameter ( D H), theoretical hydraulic conductivity ( K th), and increased vessel frequency ( VF) upon drought under N addition; such impacts were not observed in O. pinnata. Regarding leaf anatomy, N addition also caused drought-stressed S. superba to generate leaves with a lower density of veins ( VD) and stomata ( SD), which potentially contributed to an enhanced acclimation to drought. However, the same factors led to a decrease in the palisade mesophyll thickness ( PMT) of SD -stressed O. pinnata. Moreover, N addition increased the xylem soluble sugar and starch of MD-stressed O. pinnata, and decreased the xylem soluble sugar under SD for both species. The results suggest that N addition does not consistently modify tree growth and anatomical traits under variable water availability. S. superba appeared to have a greater capacity to be more adaptable under the future interactive effects of N addition and drought due to major modifications in its anatomical traits.