Abstract The severe drought in 1994 damaged the woody flora of central and southern Spain (80% of the 190 studied sites presented drought-damaged species). In 1996, after a wet year, 67% of the sites were still affected. Different degrees of damage and recovery were found among different functional types (trees or shrubs), and genera of different evolutionary history (Mediterranean or pre-Mediterranean). The Mediterranean genera, mostly shrubs evolved under Mediterranean climate conditions, i.e., later than 3.2 M years ago in the Pliocene, were more damaged by the drought than the earlier evolved pre-Mediterranean genera, mostly trees. However, the Mediterranean genera were more resilient and recovered much better after the following wet year. FOR. SCI. 47(2):214–218.