The water parameters of the leaves of 9 species of medium-sized trees (Aesculus pavia L., Aralia elata (Miq,) Seem., Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) L’Hér. ex Vent., Cercis canadensis L., Platycarya strobilacea Siebold & Zucc., Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A.Webb., Tetradium daniellii (Benn.) T.G. Hartley, Zizyphus jujuba Mill., Robinia viscosa Vent.) and 4 species of bushes (Cotinus coggygrya Scop., Cotinus coggygrya Scop. ‘Royal Purple’, Berberis vulgaris L. ‘Atropurpurea’, Corylus maxima Mill. ‘Atropurpurea’) were investigated in order to identify the most promising drought-tolerant ornamental species of woody plants from the temperate and continental climate zones, which are still not widely cultivated in the Polissia and Forest-Steppe zones of Ukraine. It will be a further recommendation to include them in the ecosystems of the urban environment to overcome the negative impact of the "urban heat island". In order to determine the relative drought resistance of plants, the following parameters of the water regime were measured: tissue hydration and water loss per unit of time. The test for drought resistance was carried out twice, when high temperatures are maintained: in early June (the leaves on trees and bushes are young), and also in early September (the leaves have already acquired all the features characteristic of their species). According to the results of the study, such medium-sized trees as: Aesculus pavia, Aralia elata, Cercis canadensis, Tetradium daniellii and Zizyphus jujube, as well as Cotinus coggygrya, Berberis vulgaris 'Atropurpurea' and Cotinus coggygrya 'Royal Purple' bushes can be recommended for urban landscaping as drought-resistant plants. Whereas, the tree species Broussonetia papurifera, Robinia viscosa, Prunus dulcis and Platycarya strobilacea, as well as the bushes Corylus maxima 'Atropurpurea' showed relatively lower drought resistance, which must be taken into account when landscaping, since, on the one hand, there is a need for additional watering, on the other hand in in one landscape exposure, it is appropriate to plant species with a similar level of drought resistance, which will facilitate further plant care. The slightly lower tolerance to drought of Corylus maxima 'Atropurpurea' may be due to the fact that only this species of the studied shrubs is shade-tolerant, while the other three species are light-loving plants, which must also be taken into account when creating plant compositions.