Review: 11509 Flowering Cactus
Posted by Huw,
Cacti have featured several times in the botanical collection since its inception, but 11509 Flowering Cactus is the first time the spiky plants have taken centre stage.
It's one of four flowers being released in the new year and, in some markets at least, is reasonably priced.
Summary
11509 Flowering Cactus, 482 pieces.
£24.99 / $34.99 / €29.99 | 5.2p / 7.3c / 6.2c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Problems with the pot notwithstanding, this is a attractive model
- Reasonably realistic and life-sized
- Clever construction techniques
- Unsightly holes in the pot
- Poor colour consistency of the light royal blue pieces
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
The pot is built using light royal blue pieces, some of which are new in that colour. The bottom section is constructed upside-down and held in place with a SNOT cube in the middle.
Unfortunately, it appears that LEGO has problems producing parts in this shade because several of them are slightly yellower than others, such as the 4x4 quarter-circle slopes, although it's difficult to see the difference in the photos. It is evident in normal viewing conditions, though.
The holes in the sides of the curved plates look very unsightly as well, given there are so many of them.
The exact variety of cacti that these represent is not specified. I don't suppose it matters: there are many ribbed cylindrical varieties that produce pink flowers with yellow centres which, when modelled like this, would all look much the same. They could even be different types, given one is producing a single large flower from the top while the other has yielded a cluster of smaller ones.
Whatever, like real flowering cactus, they look suitably spectacular and colourful, and instantly recognisable as spiky succulents!
The 8-sided barrels of the plants are cleverly constructed in two halves, each with 4 sides, which are then slotted together and held in place with a 3.18 bar in the centre. The small cacti utilises a new dia-3 ring with five connection points to hold the flower heads in place.
The spikes are not entirely convincing, and there should be more of them, but this is undoubtedly the best that can be done with existing pieces.
Pink minifigure shields, droid arms, triangular shields, and a yellow Technic gear make up the large flower head.
The small heads utilise sand green crowns, minifig heads and the new flower head introduced last year.
Despite a few issues with the pot, this remains an attractive, realistic and colourful model that is sure to be well received by botanical fans.
Like the best sets in the botanical collection, it's life-sized and could be mistaken for the real thing, especially if you stand back and squint a bit. Hint: it's the one in the middle in the photo below :-)
The price in the UK, £24.99, is reasonable, that in the USA, $34.99, perhaps not so much, but still a must-have for aficionados.
57 likes
21 comments on this article
Beautiful set, even the textures are good and match the real one. I did not intend to, but eventually I will get this one. Maybe as a Christmas present for someone who is not into Lego but who loves flowers and will, for sure, discover the pleasure we all know to build a Lego set. Excellent review and pictures, thank you.
Very nice inclusion of the source material in this review.
It's pretty good, but this is one instance where the old flower-stem piece would've worked better.
As our cactus from Arizona have not survived, this looks like an excellent substitute.
Great review and a day 1 purchase... but yeah, the holes in the pot are a bit much.
A christmas cactus. Nice
Like the plants, but the pots terrible. If they could make 10349 smooth at a cheaper price point, why not this?
Agreed that the pot kinda ruins the look. It seems a little silly that the pot should be so important, but the best Botanicals really benefit from a strong pot construction. The original Orchid set comes to mind, as do the Four Gentlemen quartet.
My favorite plants. They give so much and ask for so little. Plastic cactus aren't worth it. Real cactus are prettier and last much longer, even if you don't know anything about gardening. A tip: it's better to water them sparingly than to overwater them. And those made from bricks, it's best not to water them at all.
I'm torn on the pot. The holes shouldn't bother me. Features like that, to me, help keep models unapologetically "LEGO." But they do bother me.
I THINK the problem is entirely in how clustered the gaps are. If it had a similar number of them, but with a build that resulted in a more even, or at least different, distribution, I don't think it would be an issue for me.
Thanks, but I prefer the living version, which grows and blooms once a year, making it a special, enjoyable moment. I can't fathom how people can fail at taking care of a cacti that can be left for weeks without watering, so they would prefer this fake one.
I think it looks great.
@R0Sch said:
"Thanks, but I prefer the living version, which grows and blooms once a year, making it a special, enjoyable moment. I can't fathom how people can fail at taking care of a cacti that can be left for weeks without watering, so they would prefer this fake one."
Probably by overwatering and killing them.
@CCC said:
"
Probably by overwatering and killing them."
Less of a problem with all those holes in the pot.
Huw - slightly off-topic... I have a reasonable collection of Lego Botanicals that I use to brighten various rooms in my house (my green fingers seem to have withered and died). Can you suggest an effective way of removing dust from them - although they're not fragile, I'd be loath to use a household vacuum cleaner on them. A topic for a future article, perhaps? Many thanks.
You see, Jeffe. A rose can bloom in the desert.
Nice sweater.
BTW, I know what a 'plethora' is. ;)
@LegoMiniNZ said:
"Huw - slightly off-topic... I have a reasonable collection of Lego Botanicals that I use to brighten various rooms in my house (my green fingers seem to have withered and died). Can you suggest an effective way of removing dust from them - although they're not fragile, I'd be loath to use a household vacuum cleaner on them. A topic for a future article, perhaps? Many thanks."
Light brushes: small art brushes, makeup brushes, and- my favorite- coffee grinder brushes. After you've loosened the dust, canned air is good for finishing.
If the dust is mixed with cooking grease (as my botanicals have), your best bet is probably a rag. Or, you could soak in hot, soapy water, rinse, and air dry. Either way, you're going to assuredly experience the joy of rebuilding. ;)
@ALegoFan said:
"A christmas cactus. Nice"
Totally different deal.
What is that black bracket part in the central SNOT cube?
@LegoMiniNZ said:
"Huw - slightly off-topic... I have a reasonable collection of Lego Botanicals that I use to brighten various rooms in my house (my green fingers seem to have withered and died). Can you suggest an effective way of removing dust from them - although they're not fragile, I'd be loath to use a household vacuum cleaner on them. A topic for a future article, perhaps? Many thanks."
Makeup brush is my preferred option, as often as you can be bothered to get dust off before it sticks. Other part is to hoover the room regularly and keep overall dust as low as possible.
@LegoMiniNZ said:
"Huw - slightly off-topic... I have a reasonable collection of Lego Botanicals that I use to brighten various rooms in my house (my green fingers seem to have withered and died). Can you suggest an effective way of removing dust from them - although they're not fragile, I'd be loath to use a household vacuum cleaner on them. A topic for a future article, perhaps? Many thanks."
I have a medium-sized soft paintbrush to loosen dust and then have a hoover attachment which comprises an adapter, a flexible small hose and a couple of brush attachments on the end.
If you search for something like "Car Dashboard Valeting Vacuum Cleaning Mini Attachments Kit" on Amazon, you'll get a few results.
I find this indispensable and it makes short work of any set.