The evergreen shrub Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC. (Rutaceae), originating from warm temperate and subtropical Asia, has existed successfully in the Jevremovac Botanical Garden in Belgrade for more than 80 years. The seasonal pattern of water management in leaves, electrolyte leakage, essential oil composition, and leaf anatomy were examined in order to understand the resistance and viability of this subtropical shrub in the temperate continental climate of Belgrade, Serbia.