Snake of small to moderate size, can grow up to 97 cm long, but the average adult is between 60 and 70 cm long. Males of this species are slightly longer than females. The body is thin, the head is well differentiated from the neck and the snout has a round profile seen from the side. Characterized by the emerald green or bluish green color, of variable intensity, bordered by a pair of yellow or cream-colored stripes running along the side and bottom. Newborns and juvenile specimens are light or dark brown, sometimes even reddish, with a yellowish-green tail tip, but always with the visible side stripes. Adults and juveniles can have a series of small transverse, light-colored, stripes well distributed along the back.

This is an arboreal species, but it is usually found on the ground and the base of the trees, frequently in altered secondary forests, and areas that have been altered for agricultural purposes, such as coffee plantations. As many other viper species, the Side-Striped Palm Viper is viviparous.

This species can be found in mountain forests, from Costa Rica to the west of Panama, between 700 and 1950 m of altitude. Since it is an arboreal species commonly found in coffee plantations, the bites usually happen on the hands and arms of agricultural farmers.