A perennial from the Lamiaceae family, this species is native to Central Asia and the northwestern Himalayas, where it occupies rocky slopes, scree, and dry alpine meadows, in open and well-exposed environments.
It forms upright clumps 30 to 50 cm tall, with sturdy stems slightly reddish at the base. The name canescens — meaning "whitening" — refers to the grayish down covering stems and leaves, the latter being narrowly lanceolate, with a matte green slightly ashen hue, giving the plant a velvety and silvery appearance, very recognizable even when not in bloom.
The bilabiate flowers, in a deep violet-blue with the lower lip marked in white, are arranged in upright and slender spikes along the stems. This bicoloration of the purple upper lip and whitish lower lip is one of the most distinctive features of the species. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to August. In cultivation, it generally blooms in June-July.
It requires a sunny exposure and well-drained soil, poor to moderately fertile. Hardy and undemanding, it naturally finds its place in rock gardens or dry borders.