Salvia maximowicziana is a perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is found growing on grasslands, forests, and forest edges in China, at elevation. It grows tall, with circular-cordate to ovate-cordate leaves that are typically long and wide. The upper leaf surface is nearly smooth, or lightly covered with hairs, while the underside has glandular hairs on the veins.
The inflorescence is of loose racemes or panicles, with a corolla. Salvia maximowicziana var. maximowicziana has a yellow corolla, while Salvia maximowicziana var. floribunda has a purple corolla.