To understand the relationship of growth and water use efficiency (WUE) between superior and inferior families from open-pollinated progenies of P. densiflora, two families (one superior and one inferior families) in two open-pollinated progeny test sites were selected using volume growth at 26 years. And we compared environmental factors and WUE which was calculated from measured ${delta}^{13}C$ in the wood. The ${delta}^{13}C$ change during the last 20 years showed steady decrease and same pattern as WUE in the fertile site, while there was an inverse relationship between ${delta}^{13}C$ and WUE in poor site, indicating an interaction between gene and environment. The superior family showed higher WUE than inferior family in poor site, indicating efficient stomatal control of the former under water stress. Water use efficiency calculated by carbon isotope composition can be used as a selection criterion for drought tolerance families in open-pollinated progenies of P. densiflora.