1. Texas bluebonnets still a favorite for photographs

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A maroon version of the state flower that’s sprouted in the shadow of the University of Texas Tower in Austin has some wondering if it’s the work of Aggie pranksters.

Flower beds containing brightly colored bluebonnets are now home to a variant known as Alamo Fire, which is a shade of maroon. The Texas A&M colors are maroon and white.

There’s speculation in the land of the Longhorns that Aggies are responsible for sprinkling Alamo Fire seeds on the UT campus.

Texas A&M horticulturists developed the maroon variety in the 1980s in an attempt to plant a floral Texas flag in honor of the state’s sesquicentennial.

Texas A&M professor and horticulturist Doug Welsh says the recessive maroon hue will recede over time to the bluebonnet’s dominant shade of indigo.