Catfisham wrote: How are mountain mints different from regular mints? Catfisham: Mountain mints are related to regular mints, but are in a separate genus and are not, as far as I know, used for flavoring foods, at least not very widely used. The mint family includes many genera including the mints used for flavoring (mostly in genus Mentha), bee balms (genus Monarda), and Mountain Mints (genus Pycnanthemum). If you have grown any mint such as Spearmint (Mentha spicata) you would recognize Mountain mints as close relatives. Mountain Mints have herby or minty smell to the leaves and spread like garden mints, although not quite as rapidly as some. There are a number of species native to the eastern US (PA has about 8), most of which grow pretty easily in the garden or meadow. They aren't spectacular in flower like bee balms, but are easy, attractive, and native, so they are pretty popular with wildflower gardeners.

Maufie, just be sure to try just a little bit at a time like maybe 1mmx1mm piece and wait a few hours or a day to see if you have any reactions to it (vomiting, diarrhea, hallucinations, anaphylaxis, etc). Then try a little bit bigger piece each time, waiting in between each time you increase the amount you try. This is a good rule to follow anytime you try something that you haven't tried before. It will probably be fine, but each person reacts differently to different plant compounds.

Re Phlox paniculata : have never had the species (wild type) in my gardens and have always removed the few seedlings which came from the 30 or so cultivars I've planted and maintained over numbers of years. Garden phlox cultivars require some amount of maintenance, including regular division, at least in my experience. There are several reason to deadhead them, but an obvious one is to prevent any seeding. Any offspring, I've seen in other gardens, had the flower-colour of the species, typically a washed-out magenta. In my experience, maintaining healthy garden phlox is part of avoiding powdery mildew here.

Both Oakleaf hydrangea and Bottlebrush buckeye can handle sun and shade, though they may need more water in sunnier conditions (and especially the year you plant them, when they are getting their roots established.) You are correct that the oak will cast some shade when mature, but that will be years down the road, so you could definitely get started with some fruits and veggies now, and worry about shade later. I'm also in 7b, and I've had luck this year growing strawberries and figs, and understand that blackberries/raspberries also do well in this zone. Blueberries can be tricky because they love cold winters. Another native shrub,American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), LOVES sun and grows tons of magnificent magenta berries. The birds will love them in the fall, and/or you can pick them to make jelly (they are a bit bland right off the bush). (By the way, I made some plant names link to articles about their growing conditions, one my screen it shows up as green text that I can click) Butterflies will love species like Phlox paniculata, Mountain Mint (genus Pycnanthemum), and Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), plus many others. If you see butterflies on flowers while you shop for plants at a local nursery or botanical garden, that's a pretty good endorsement that they'll like it planted in your yard too. Your oak will also be great for attracting butterflies, since many of their baby caterpillars eat oak leaves (usually minimal so you don't notice, especially once the oak gets tall). American beautyberry in fruit: Painted Lady butterfly on my blue mistflower last fall: