The LEGO® Botanicals sets have become a popular range of LEGO builds. First introduced as a subtheme of the Icons range, buildable flowers and plants have become so popular that the sets were spun off into a fully fledged theme. Next month, two new sets will join the line-up, including the Magnolia Branches. The Magnolia is an evergreen shrub which is best known for its fragrant, star-shaped flowers and cone-like fruit, which appear during the autumn months. Instead of depicting the entire shrub, the set focuses on its branches and features the Magnolia flowers in various stages of bloom.
Product Details
Set Name: Magnolia Branches | Set Number: 11510 | Pieces: 435 | Theme: Botanicals
Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App
RRP: £44.99/49.99€/$49.99/79.99AUD/64.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & LEGO retailers from March 1st
The set features five separate branches; across these are six fully bloomed Magnolia flowers. Along with fully flowered Magnolias, the set also features smaller buds and the cone-shaped fruit. These are also connected to long Technic axles. The long black rods are clad in a series of reddish-brown pieces to give them a woody branch-like appearance.
One of the charming things about the Botanicals sets is their inventive use of LEGO elements. The Magnolias continue this trend with several usual elements used to represent various details. Brown frogs become wooden notches on the branches. Recoloured hub caps and cupcakes become the bright yellow centres of the Magnolia flowers. Minifigure heads and egg elements become the Magnolia flower buds. One of the most unique elements used in the set is the leaf-like element. This was introduced last year and has appeared in a trio of colours, where it has been used as both a leaf and a petal. To capture the unique colouring of the Magnolia flowers, a method has been used to give gradient colouring on the petals. This does mean there is a slight uniqueness to each of the elements.
Despite the use of specially created leaf elements, the set maintains the charm of other sets and their clever use of elements. The Magnolia flowers are fairly chunky, so getting them to sit neatly in a vase is a little tricky. You may struggle to combine with other LEGO Botanicals sets for the same reason. But overall, the brick-built flowers are an impressive recreation of the real thing. The Magnolia Branches set blooms on March 1st and can be pre-ordered now.
