LEGO Icons 10281 Bonsai Tree

The LEGO: Bonsai Tree set is a beautiful entry in the LEGO Botanical Collection, which is targeted towards their adult audience, and a great set for those who are just starting in the hobby due to its uniqueness and aesthetic.

What’s In The Box?

Starting with the looks of the box itself, LEGO has opted to approach its design in a more serious and simplistic way, going for a black box that highlights the beauty of the sets in this collection.

Inside the box, you will find the instruction booklet, as usual, which in this set includes a bit of info about the traditional art of bonsai tree cultivation, how some of the pieces in the set were produced using sustainable sources and an introduction to Nicolaas Vás, the designer behind the set.

The 878 different pieces are provided in six different numbered bags. #1 contains the parts for the shallow flowerpot, #2 the parts for the bonsai trunk, #3 contains the filling for the flowerpot, #4 the green branches and leaves, #5 contains the cherry branches and blossoms and #6 the parts to build the stand.

The Build Experience

This set is beautifully thought out from the start, and a most enjoyable experience. It took me about 90 minutes to build it from start to finish but I did not finish both canopy builds, so maybe add an extra 10-15 minutes for that if you do so.

Starting with the flowerpot, the build is very elegant and simple. The surfaces look great and I thought it was ingenious the use of rubber tires for the feet as an anti-slip solution. Moving to the bonsai trunk, the build gets slightly trickier but still not overwhelming. The parts used for the trunk have a good variety of new and borrowed pieces and it all ultimately comes together in a nice and organic shape (the flexible vines look great) that prepares the setting for the canopies to be built upon. Using the pieces on bag #3, we then “fill” the flowerpot, which adds to the organic look by mimicking soil and small pebbles.

I decided to finish my build using the green canopy (bag #4), as it would go better with the décor in my living room. This part was a bit repetitive as I basically had to build 10 identical assemblies of foliage which were then attached to the bonsai’s main branches. But once it all was put together, it looked beautiful!

My cherry blossom canopy build is still awaiting the day I get tired of the green and decide it’s time for a change. But you can always build both immediately and have them available to mix and match as you please. Switching out the assemblies is really easy because they are attached with a single pin to the main trunk, and all you have to do is pull and replace as you see fit!

The pot stand in bag #6 is, in my opinion, a bit superfluous. While I can agree that it gives a nice final touch, and I did build it in the end, I feel like the model would’ve lived just as well without it. And the stand build itself is pretty straightforward, without adding anything particularly new or interesting which also doesn’t help it’s case.

Final Thoughts

The LEGO: Bonsai Tree set is on my top 3 entries of the LEGO Botanical Collection. The aesthetic of the design is excellent, the build experience is great and I love how easy it is to customize your bonsai and truly make it your own. Be it with the provided canopies or custom pieces bought separately, you will have plenty of different options to keep working on your build. It’s a great gift for anyone really, either LEGO fans or as a gateway for potential fans!