Increased forest clearing for agriculture and development has intensified forest fragmentation worldwide, resulting in edge-effects, which expose forest boundaries to greater sunlight, wind, and fluctuations in temperature. At the same time, climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of drought. Consequently, these combined disturbances give rise to novel environmental conditions and may influence forest regeneration, yet their combined effects on the physiology of young trees remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate how temperate forests’ edge conditions and experimental drought influence the photosynthetic performance and post-drought recovery of understory tree seedlings and saplings. To do this, a total of 593 seedlings and saplings representing seven tree species were surveyed within ambient and drought treatment plots at the forest edge (0 m) and interior (30 m) at Harvard Forest's Climate Interactions with Forest Fragmentation (CLIFF) experiment. From these, I selected 60 representative seedlings and saplings for repeated measurements of photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) and the photosynthetic performance index (PIabs) using a portable chlorophyll fluorometer following the experimental drought period. I hypothesized that seedlings and saplings would have enhanced photosynthetic productivity at the forest edge, under ambient conditions, but that drought would diminish these advantages and delay post-drought recovery compared with interior forests. By examining how drought and fragmentation influence seedling and sapling photosynthetic performance and recovery, this study provides insight into the mechanisms that may drive future changes in forest composition, recruitment, and carbon storage.