Long-term vegetation phenology changes and response to multi-scale meteorological drought on the Loess Plateau, China

•The effects of multi-scale drought on vegetation phenology parameters SOS, POS and EOS are investigated.•The negative response of vegetation phenology to pre-season drought is stronger in the western, and the positive response in the eastern.•Vegetation POS and EOS were more sensitive to monthly- and seasonal-scale drought than SOS.•Compared with forest and grassland, farmland has significant change in phenological periods and more sensitive to monthly and seasonal drought.