Royal Standard is an old, dependable hosta with glossy, bright green, ribbed leaves that build into a vigorous clump three to four feet across. In late summer it sends up tall stalks of trumpet-shaped blooms above the foliage.

It's one of the more sun-tolerant hostas, taking morning light in stride as long as the soil stays moist. Rich soil and steady water keep it lush through an Alabama August. Divide every few years; it multiplies generously.