Using male and female Salix gordejevii cuttings as experimental materials, we studied the growth and physiological characteristics under drought stress by weighing control soil moisture content to reveal sexual differences of physiological adaptability and resistance. The results showed that: (1) no significant differences were detected in plant height, basal diameter, total leaf number, leaf area, stem dry weight, root dry weight, photosynthetic pigment contents (except chlorophyll a), gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, relative water content (RWC), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, proline content and soluble sugar content in both sexes. (2) Drought significantly reduced plant growth and photosynthesis, and seriously disrupted osmotic regulation function and antioxidant enzyme system between the sexes. Females exhibited significantly higher plant height, total leaf number, leaf area, stem dry weight, root dry weight, total chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate (P_n), maximum efficiency of PSⅡ (F_v/F_m), effective quantum yield of PSⅡ (Φ_PSⅡ) and RWC, and lower nonphotochemical quenching coefficient (qN), MDA content, proline content and soluble sugar content than those of males. Meanwhile, leaf dry weight, chlorophyll a content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and peroxidase (POD) activity of females were always higher than that of males. The results indicated that drought inhibited growth and physiological characteristics more in males than in females of S. gordejevii. Females possess greater drought resistance than males with higher photosynthesis maintaining plant growth under drought stress, which is one of the important reasons in determining femalebiased sex ratio in the longterm.