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Vulnerability to water stress‐induced cavitation was measured on 27 woody shrub species from three arid plant communities including chaparral, coastal sage and Mojave Desert scrub. Dry season native embolism and pre‐dawn water potential, and both wet and dry season xylem specific hydraulic conductivity (K_s) were measured. Cavitation resistance, estimated as water potential at 50% loss in conductivity (Ψ₅₀), was measured on all species during the wet season and on a subset of species during the dry season. Cavitation resistance varied with sampling season, with 8 of 13 sampled species displaying significant seasonal shifts. Native embolism and water potential were useful in identification of species displaying seasonal shifts. The K_s was not different among sites or seasons. The Ψ₅₀ varied among species and communities. Within communities, interspecific variation may be partially explained by …