The formation of a carotenoid compound containing a 4-keto-.beta.-ionene ring such as astaxanthin or canthaxanthin in flowers, and particularly in the corolla and reproductive parts of a flower of a higher plant whose flowers produce a carotenoid compound containing a .beta.-ionene ring such as .beta.-carotene or zeaxanthin, but otherwise do not produce astaxanthin or canthaxanthin is disclosed. One or more genes controlled by a promoter are inserted (transformed) into a higher plant. The inserted gene encodes a chimeric enzyme including (a) a carotenoid-forming enzyme that is at least a ketolase. That gene is operatively linked to (b) a plastid-directed transit peptide. Some higher plants to be transformed produce at least zeaxanthin or .beta.-carotene in their flowers prior to transformation, whereas other plants produce little if any colored carotenoid pigments prior to transformation and are transformed with a cassette of carotenoids-forming genes. Methods of transformation and use of the transformed plants are described.