Review: 10311 Orchid
Posted by Huw,
The Adults Welcome botanical collection was launched last year and, if the length of time they were initially out of stock at LEGO.com is anything to go by, they have been a resounding success.
Two more will be released on 1st May, including 10311 Orchid, and I am certain that they will be just as popular: both are very attractive, realistic and reasonably priced.
Summary
10311 Orchid, 608 pieces.
£44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 | 7.4p/8.2c/8.2c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
A beautiful and realistic model of the popular houseplant
- Nice parts usage
- Fairly priced
- Ingeniously designed pot
- Pot is too small for the size of the plant
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Parts
The 608 pieces are packaged in four bags. There are no new ones among them, but there are plenty of recoloured ones as you'll see below.
Construction
You know you're in for a treat when you find out that you're building a set designed by Mike Psiaki, and this one is no exception. The pot in particular is ingeniously constructed, using 8x8 round plates with 4x4 round brick turntables sandwiched between them, thus enabling sixteen connection points around the circumference.
16 7-long technic beams are attached to the pins, before adding the sand blue plates and ridge tiles, which are new in this set.
The finished pot has a diameter of 10cm and height of 8cm.
The leaves, stems and supporting sticks are affixed to the sand green bars and Technic connectors protruding from the top of the pot. As with previous botanical sets, dark green pieces rather than regular green have been used here, which in this case is most appropriate.
A couple of olive green roots protrude over the side of the pot: there should probably be more, if my wife's examples of the plant are anything to go by!
The flowers repurpose a number of Technic pieces including 32072 TECHNIC ANGULAR WHEEL and 48267 BION. EYE, both new here in pink, unsurprisingly.
A dark pink frog represents the central cap of the flower.
The dorsal and lateral sepals (the three small petals) are formed using oval shields held in place with forks; the larger pair are the 21560 SHOULDER SHELL W.3.20 CONNECTOR, usually found in constraction sets like 75114 First Order Stormtrooper.
Orchids are typically grown in a soil mix containing chunks of bark so to replicate that here, brown and dark brown 27261 DESIGN, PLATE 2X3, ROCK, NO. 1s are provided to sprinkle on top of the pot.
The completed model
From a distance it looks exactly like a real orchid: broad flattish leaves at the bottom, spindly curved stems and intricate white and pink flowers. In fact, it almost looks too good: the plants my wife grows do flower from time to time but never look as graceful and balanced as this.
It's not until you get closer that you realise that the delicate petals are in fact plastic!
The pot, however, is too small for the plant. A real one would be pot-bound in such a cramped container. Also, orchids are usually grown in transparent pots to allow light to get to their roots but replicating that in LEGO would have been nigh on impossible, of course.
The prize for nice parts usage goes to using the head from the Stranger Things demogorgon as emerging flower buds: it looks perfect!
Verdict
This is another exceptional botanical set, and perhaps my favourite of them all. It's incredibly realistic and showcases the versatility of LEGO. It's certain to appeal to a new green-fingered audience as well as the discerning AFOL.
Best of all, it's reasonably priced, at £45 / $50 / €50, unlike 10289 Bird of Paradise which was a great model but far too expensive. $50 seems to be the sweet-spot for them.
My only complaint relates to the pot which is very cleverly designed but too small for the size of the plant. However, I appreciate that keeping it small has kept the price down, and I think it was right to prioritise price over size.
It can be pre-ordereded at LEGO.com and will be released on 1st May. It'll make the perfect gift for your partner or mother on Mother's Day -- if you're in the USA and get your order in quick enough, that is!
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44 comments on this article
I am so excited for this, I couldn't even read the review. It looks SO GOOD and the price is right where it should be.
The Demogorgon heads, the frogs, the vase.. what a treat.
I'll be picking up at least 2, one for me and one for my mom for mother's day.
Looks absolutely spectacular. From a short distance I can see this absolutely fooling people into thinking it’s a real plant. I pre-ordered this yesterday and I can’t wait for it to arrive.
IDK about the pot criticisms - the last orchid I purchased was from Trader Joe’s and it came with a pot that was roughly that size - also a pale shade of opaque purple, not clear.
But then maybe those are two reasons why it died...
"It's certain to appeal to a new green-fingered audience..." Or a brown-fingered audience. It's a plant they can't kill!
The flower pattern on the "demogorgon" could definitely double for an alien creature. And after getting the Harry Potter chess set, I'm excited any time plain white castle elements are introduced, like with the shields here and the bow in the Horizon set.
I really love it.
I placed my preorder already
This set is simply phenomenal
I love it! Crossing my fingers that my local brand store will have both the Orchid and the Succulents in stock on May 1.
Frogs!
@Huw, I bought an orchid - a real one - yesterday as a gift, so was looking at what was on offer. For the size of the plants, the pots were quite small. They were also opaque. So not sure that LEGO’s representation is all that inaccurate. Is it possible that what Mrs Millington does is the horticulturally best approach whereas LEGO’s version represents what’s commonly available in shops?
Picked these up last night and will make a great Mother's Day present this year for our mom's (and myself)...much like the hard-to-find at-the-time Flower Bouquet for last year's Mother's Day.
Looks nice, requires no maintenance at all and lives forever. What's not to like...
I'd love to offer a piece of the botanical collection to my mother. Which one would be the easiest build for a first time builder?
It's beautiful, but all of that Technic business inside has me saying "no".
The pot size is just fine. One mustn't forget that most orchids are parasitic plants and draw their nutrients and water out of their host or humidity from air. As such the criticism would have to be redirected to the fact that they should have more "roots", which kind of is the point. The pot really only serves to hold them in place mechanically, not to nourish them and as such smaller ones are more than sufficient and even conducive to growing air roots by forcing the plant to do so. Too large pots would also only invite overwatering when in fact they should be watered sparsely only once a week or sprayed...
I absolutely can't wait to purchase this set and build it with my son as a loving tribute to his grandmother, who passed nearly five years ago and just a few months before he was born. She gave me at least one LEGO set for Christmas every year, starting probably in 1981 or so and even into my adulthood and inevitable dark ages, and she's why I am an AFOL today. I've had a challenging time keeping her actual orchids healthy over the years, and I think that this set will be the perfect continuation of their legacies. I love you, Mom!
Great parts usage! Technic, constraction, demogorgon & frog, never looked so good. Not to mention new sand blue pieces.
My gf and I were in our local Lego store indulging my habit, and she (somewhat surprisingly) said she wanted a couple of the older Botanical sets. I already got her the Bonsai Tree and Bouquet for her upcoming birthday, guess I have to add this one too.
She loves all plants but refuses to buy orchids since they're difficult to keep alive. She should love this one!
There’s something just so satisfying about seeing pieces like the frog and demogorgon head used so cleverly in a way that ends up looking so good
I'm really amused that the print on the recolored demogorgon head also features a Lego frog pattern in the middle.
It's nice to see that I'm not alone in loving these new directions that LEGO is taking.
That being said, I hope we continue to see existing parts repurposed for producing these models. The more new specialized parts get created to support these new lines, the less these products intrigue me.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Love it!
Superb. Pre-ordered a couple.
Pot size is fine. Every orchid I've ever seen or bought has been in an overly small looking, opaque pot. It's most likely retail outlets cutting cost on pot size, and Lego just copying the size that's generally available!
Preordered. That looks amazing.
@WemWem said:
"Looks absolutely spectacular. From a short distance I can see this absolutely fooling people into thinking it’s a real plant. I pre-ordered this yesterday and I can’t wait for it to arrive.
IDK about the pot criticisms - the last orchid I purchased was from Trader Joe’s and it came with a pot that was roughly that size - also a pale shade of opaque purple, not clear.
But then maybe those are two reasons why it died..."
Over 70% of Orchids are actually epiphytes, which means they don't grow in soil, but attach to other plants. So their pots don't need to be large, just something to cling to.
Great review, exceptionally designed LEGO set.
My Mom would love this. The Botanicals theme was the only LEGO I ever gifted to her that she genuinely seemed to take real pleasure in (the Mother’s Day gift stuff or flowers from Friends didn't have the impact).
She died in mid February this year so she’s not going to be able to see it, but it really would have made the perfect gift for her. So would the Succulents to be honest. Maybe I’ll get this and build it on Mothers Day. Certainly could help make getting through the day a little easier…yes?
As a longtime orchid grower, I am astonished by the lifelike quality of this set. To @Mylenium, not to be pedantic, but orchids aren't "parasitic" in the sense that they harm the tree they grow on... just squatting on unused real estate most of the time.
The pot is accurate to how orchids are sold commercially, but orchids would not mind a setting resembling their natural habitat.
I trace the "botanical" lineage back to Lego Elves and the more cartoonish, but still lifelike, efforts to capture organic shapes. But I'm ignorant - can any trace the lineage even further back?
A beautiful set.
I think the pot size is just fine. As others have mentioned, the size is realistic to how they are sold in stores, and not to mention that any bigger would take the focus off the plant itself.
The comments here make me want to tear-up. This is truly what Lego is all about (I mean the bricks and the people- not necessarily the company). It's fantastic to have sets like this that bring forth that unequivocal joy of remembrance, education, and celebration!
I think this is probably the best of the botanical collection yet in terms of a beautiful display set.
In the bouquet and bird of paradise, the leaves weren't quite right. The leaf stems in the bouquet are a bit heavy and hard to position - not unlike some of the other stems actually. And the Technic panel leaves on the bird of paradise are just a bit clunky to my eyes. But the orchid's leaves provide the balance needed for the flowers whilst not being the focus of the set.
I think the pot size works aesthetically which is more important than being completely accurate with what a real plant would prefer. And as the review says, it also means the price is about right.
I think the use of those Demogorgon heads are my new favourite pieces.
Very detailed and realistic with some clever construction techniques and a reasonable price. Definite purchase.
The size of the pot is pretty spot on for the size of the plant considering it is an orchid. Orchid pots are always small so the comment if the pot being too small for the size of the plant seems like something coming from someone that doesn’t know orchids and has never owned any.
@mmphares1984 said:
"The size of the pot is pretty spot on for the size of the plant considering it is an orchid. Orchid pots are always small so the comment if the pot being too small for the size of the plant seems like something coming from someone that doesn’t know orchids and has never owned any."
That's not the case at all. My wife has been growing them for years. Orchid pots sold in the UK are much larger than the one in this set: 12-14cm diameter and usually quite deep, e.g. https://www.crocus.co.uk/product/_/recycled-glass-flared-orchid-pot--violet/classid.2000031300
The set looks great for sure. They knocked it out of the park. Always interesting build techniques and the pot does not disappoint.
As for the discussion involving the pot size, it seems most use smaller opaque or colored. I know all of the orchids we've ever had have been small potted and not transparent and they seemed to survive well enough.
Either way, I will agree $50 is the sweet spot for this theme. The Birds of Paradise looked great, but I couldn't pull the trigger at that price. Even when it was on sale at $70, I had other financial obligations so didn't pick it up, but I could tolerate that price for it at least.
Pre-ordered it for coming Mother's day. I still don't know if I will keep the building pleasure for myself and then offer it, or will let it MISB and offer my mother her very first Lego set building experience, along with a magnificent Lego botanic set.... I also wonder if I won't start collecting the whole range, as I finf them among (if not the most) the most creative theme released in the past few years. Thank you for the excellent review and close pictures.
As much as all of us AFOL, marvels at the part usage and new print of the demogorgon, a casual user will not be aware of any of this. For them the part usage and print will just be what it is where it is needed and there would be nothing special about it except maybe the finished general aspect of it - basically the initial reason why the bought it in the first place.
Of course, many people rediscovering Lego after 30-40 years (or more) will say: "back in my days it was only 2x4s (even though that's not true - you would have to go back 60 years or more for that) and will be impressed by the variety of new parts but still won't be able to truly appreciate the NPUs (nice part usage).
@Huw said:
"Orchid pots sold in the UK are much larger than the one in this set: 12-14cm diameter and usually quite deep, e.g. https://www.crocus.co.uk/product/_/recycled-glass-flared-orchid-pot--violet/classid.2000031300 "
That's an aftermarket pot, from a garden centre, with as much marketing hype as a Lego set!
I suspect one from a supermarket is more representative of the size most people are familiar with.
https://www.marksandspencer.com/phalaenopsis-orchid/p/flp60257986?extid=ps_ps-gpla_ggl_flowers_food__-_UK_-css-_&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAjw9e6SBhB2EiwA5myr9sbkcPYkYDIYWY8-YwZsAAVYBNIpb7ZXLuiY6c_HBJa6f9lpEFPxdBoC9EoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
@blogzilly said:
"Great review, exceptionally designed LEGO set.
My Mom would love this. The Botanicals theme was the only LEGO I ever gifted to her that she genuinely seemed to take real pleasure in (the Mother’s Day gift stuff or flowers from Friends didn't have the impact).
She died in mid February this year so she’s not going to be able to see it, but it really would have made the perfect gift for her. So would the Succulents to be honest. Maybe I’ll get this and build it on Mothers Day. Certainly could help make getting through the day a little easier…yes?"
My condolences. I had just emerged from my "dark ages" when my mom passed, and LEGO was in some ways the best coping mechanism I could find. She fostered my love of the brick, and it was one of the few activities that allowed me to both relax and reminisce without going too far down the rabbit hole of grief. Be well.
My wives favorite flower/plant. I guess I am going to buy her her first LEGO set.
Can't seem find on lego.com
I thought it was supposed to be released May 1, but apparently, it was available fir just three days (Apr 15-18) in the US & Canada and now is nowhere to be found on lego.ca. What gives?!?