The coordination of plant leaf water potential (Ψ_L) regulation and xylem vulnerability to embolism is fundamental for understanding the tradeoffs between carbon uptake and risk of hydraulic damage. A legacy of observations in drylands suggests plants with vulnerable xylem more carefully regulate Ψ_L than plants with resistant xylem. We synthesized over 1600 Ψ_L observations, 122 xylem embolism curves, and xylem anatomical measurements of Quercus alba L., Liriodendron tulipifera L., and Acer saccharum Marsh. across ten contrasting forests to evaluate if the paradigm linking conservative Ψ_L regulation to vulnerable xylem applies to temperate deciduous trees. Additionally, we explored generalizable patterns of hydraulic trait acclimation in relation to forest age and climate. Contrary to the dryland paradigm, we found that the tree species with the most vulnerable xylem (e.g., Q. alba) regulated Ψ_L less strictly (anisohydric behavior) than the species with xylem more resistant to embolism (e.g., A. saccharum and L. tulipifera). This relationship was found across all sites, suggesting coordination among traits was largely unaffected spatio-temporal factors. Our findings indicate drought-response traits of temperate deciduous forest species are coordinated in fundamentally different ways than vegetation in arid climates.