Salvia amethystina is a large aromatic undershrub that is endemic to Colombia. It is found in cloud forests and in bushy ground, often in riparian areas by streams, at elevation. The plant reaches tall, and sometimes taller, with ovate leaves that are long and wide. The corolla is very large, long, and usually blue, rarely purple.
Salvia amethystina is divided into two subspecies: S. amethystina subsp. amethystina and S. amethystina subsp. ampelophylla, differentiated by the number and size of the flowers.