Credit flickr.com/visualpanic

Austin's seeing brighter leaves this fall, thanks to recent rainfall.

Think of fall’s turning leaves, and Texas may not be the first state to come to mind. But Austinites have seen their fair share of autumnal red and gold this year – thanks in large part to recent rains.

Jerry Brand, a molecular bioscience professor at the University of Texas, says the color changes in the leaves are due to a specific molecule called a carotenoid.

“These color molecules called carotenoids can come in several different colors depending on the plant, depending on the light intensity they’ve been exposed to, and other environmental factors,” Brand says.

“So that’s why some leaves look more yellow in color, some look brilliant red in color and some look more orange in color,” he continues. “It’s because there’s more categories of these carotenoids, and which ones are dominant depends on the plant species – and that also depends on the environmental conditions they’ve been exposed to.” Continue Reading →