For annuals there are Impatiens pallida, I. capensis and Chamaecrista fasciculata. I'm also trying two biennials for the first time this year, Castilleja coccinea and Cirsium pumilum. Don't know if all Lobelias are necessarily short-lived perennials. Lobelia cardinalis and L. spicata are but I don't usually see the same said of L. siphilitica. Also, L. inflata is an annual.

Thanks, Lycopus, for your quick response. I totally forgot about the Impatiens as they are not planted on my property...just there. Same for the pea one. I am not sure I will put the thistle on the list, as most people do not want that in a garden, and I am not good enough to key out the native thistles from the non-native ones. (Leave them on my property, but I would not recommend to others.)

The Lobelias have mixed reviews from my research, but I also had forgotten about the annual one, and I do have it scattered about in my area.

Again, I appreciate your input, especially on the Impatiens. They are lovely and could easily be included in a garden. (Try to hook people on natives via the garden route, but I don't garden, just like plants.)

Impatiens capensis is also able to outcompete Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum). Not a bad attribute, that!

I'd include coreopsis and gaillardia pulchella.

I am a Zone 8 girl , so take my list with a caveat.

Biennial. Ipomopsis rubra,

annual: sneezeweed, thelasperma, cowpen daisy

Monarda citriodora is an annual for me, and M. punctata can be perennial. Digitalis, also.

Don't know that Monarda, but I imagine your cold zone makes some differences. Here most Monardas are considered thugs as they reproduce too well. I appreciate having more plants to consider for my "list."

I have never considered a monarda a thug. But then I have normally a shortage of water and that controls a lot.

Are you looking for all zone 7 or just those that grow in NC? Annuals that grow throughout my area and into zone 7 are huisache daisy (Amblyolepis setigera), partridge pea (Cassia fasciculata), Indian paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa), clasping leaf coneflower (Dracopis amplexicaulis), lupines,

Doesn't have to be NC, but I was thinking of doing a program on what may grow here. No luck with lupines here in the Piedmont, but I have seen wild stands in the mts. Just saw some Castilleja up there last week. Used to be a huge stand, but people mow alongside the road now. Sigh.

NC rescue, don't you think that Castilleja may have naturalized along the roadside because the gravel lowers the pH? Many western wildflowers prefer a neutral to alkaline soil. You're in the Piedmont, right-- mostly acid soil?
My friend at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk is growing vernonia (ironweed) and Queen Anne's lace. Both will definitely overwinter in z7, even 6.
When I lived in southern Ohio the ditch lilies (orange daylilies), chicory, and butterfly weed bloomed together and were followed by vernonia and goldenrod. The county was always wanting to spray or mow our hedgerows but most of us put up signs along our back roads. There never was much development down in our area, most people were deterred by sooo many miles of gravel road to get to the highway!