Since being introduced as a Subtheme of the LEGO® Icons range, LEGO Botanicals has become a highly successful theme in its own right. Taking inspiration from the natural world, the plant-focused builds are well known for their ingenious use of LEGO elements to replicate flowers, plants and foliage. Next month will see LEGO Botanicals tackle one of nature’s most important and often deadly growths – fungi. The Woodland Mushrooms set collects together several species of fungi to create a unique and colourful display. Here’s an early look at this intriguing new LEGO Botanicals set.
Product Details
Set Name: Woodland Mushrooms | Set Number: 11505 | Pieces: 806 | Theme: Botanicals
Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Sticker: n/a | Minifigures: n/a
RRP: £69.99/79.99€/$79.99/129.99AUD/114.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & LEGO retailers from June 1st
Many of the other LEGO Botanicals or Botanical Collection sets have focused on blooms of flowers or plants, but this upcoming set delves into the magical world of mushrooms. Fungi play an important part in the natural world. They may be a primitive species, but they provide food, medicines, help other plants and trees to communicate, and they can prove deadly. They can also grow in all sorts of places. But they are often found nestled among the flora and fauna of woodlands. Thanks to the sheer number of mushroom species, they also provide a visual tapestry perfect for replicating with LEGO bricks.
Unlike other Botanicals sets, the Woodland Mushrooms aren’t displayed in an accompanying pot or display vessel, nor do they require a vase. Instead, the collection of fungi is connected to a section of the woodland floor. This provides a neat platform to showcase the brick-built mushrooms and plants, as well as a unique display piece.
Ever since the first Botanicals sets, one thing has stood out: the impressive use of existing LEGO elements to recreate the different types of plants and flowers. Despite a recent trend of using several specially created elements, this set mostly uses existing pieces to craft the different species of mushrooms. Highlights include gnome hats, street signs, shields, shells and different-sized dome elements.
Some of the mushrooms and plants featured in the set include Common Bonnet and Oyster Mushrooms. The bright yellow Golden Chanterelle mushrooms and purple Autumn Crocus. Plus Marzipan Fibrecap and Collared Earthstar mushrooms. But the focus of the set is a group of Fly Agaric mushrooms, which are flanked by two Bracken leaves. These larger fungi are often used as the go-to design for mushrooms in cartoons and games such as the Mario series. The caps of these mushrooms include print detail to replicate their eye-catching appearance. But the best part of these is the use of claw elements to help create the unique structure found on the underside of a mushroom’s cap. These perfectly sit under the dome elements and look awesome.
I’ve always enjoyed seeing LEGO elements used in fun ways, and the Botanicals sets are a great example of this. Although it does use several specifically created leaf pieces, most of the elements used have different uses in other sets. It’s almost the perfect Botanicals set if not for the exposed red Technic axle still visible on the tree stump found on the left of the set. I’m sure there could have been a solution to cover this up. Despite that, this is a delightful set to build and provides an interesting showcase for how LEGO elements can be used. The LEGO Botanicals Woodland Mushrooms set will be available from June 1st.
The LEGO Group provided this set to BricksFanz.com for review purposes. The thoughts in this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of it
