Salvia recognita is a woody-based perennial that is endemic to central Turkey, typically growing in light shade at the base of cliffs, at elevations of less than 4,000 feet.

A mass of divided leaves forms a small to medium basal clump, with leaves ranging in size from 3-4 inches to nearly 1 foot long, with three or more leaflets. The light green leaves are covered with thick hairs, giving it a grayish cast and thick texture, with each leaf blade having a wine-colored petiole. The flowers are cyclamen-pink, growing in whorls, with calyces that are covered in glands and hairs. The flower stalks reach 2-3 feet long, with many whorls of widely spaced flowers.