Petunias - Tough as old boots?

Evening all.

I've noticed something rather unexpected in my flower bed at the front, which is at the foot of my south facing (front of the house) wall in shelter, so a relative heat trap.

Cape daisies, and marguerites took a proper beating over winter, and most are still showing no signs of coming back. However the petunias, which I fully expected to be wiped out, are still there. Or at least 3 of them are. I don't even think they're self seeded ones, I'm pretty sure they are the originals I planted last year.

I did a search and apparently they are 'tropical perennials usually grown as annuals' so I'm a bit surprised they made it. They are already starting to flower too.

 

Are they the big flowered Petunias or the small flower Calibrachoa petunias? The latter stay evergreen all year around through even the coldest weather.

 

The flower heads are, I'd say, about 2 inches/5 cms across. I'm not sure what type they are, they were cheap and unnamed except as mixed petunia. And as I've never really bothered with petunias before, I can't say I've learnt much about them yet.

 

Well they sound like an average Petunia, I've always lost mine after the second frost.

 

I didn't even think they were technically perennial. I thought they were just very tender annuals so even in a mild winter like the one we've just had I expected to lose them. I'm quite pleasantly surprised. They've got their first flowers on them already for this year