 In summer it bears violet-blue flowers on branching stems held high above the foliage.Diterpenes have been isolated from its green tissues.From the aerial parts of "Salvia candelabrum" have been isolated β-sitosterol, nepeticin (lup-20(29)-ene-3j,lla-diol), candelabrone (11,12,14-trihydroxy-8,11,13-abietatriene-3,7-dione), the rearranged abietane diterpenoids candesalvone A (11,12,14-trihydroxy-19(4→3)-abeo-3,8,11,13-abietatetraen-7-one) and candesalvone B (11,12,14-trihydroxy-7-oxo-3,4-seco-4(18),8,11,13-abietatetraen-3-oic acid), and large amounts of ursolic and oleanolic acids.