Review: 10343 Mini Orchid and 10344 Lucky Bamboo from LEGO® Botanicals

In July, I reviewed LEGO® Botanicals sets 10368 Chrysanthemum & 10369 Plum Blossom. They were pronounced to be two of the Four Gentlemen: a set of traditional plants in East Asian culture. The remaining two are bamboo and orchid. Those flowers are less straightforward to make into LEGO sets: orchid because it already appeared in sets 10311 Orchid and 43237 Isabela's Flowerpot (review of 43237 by me, again), and bamboo because it's basically some sticks, and thus not interesting… or so we thought. 

On 1 January 2025, sets 10343 Mini Orchid and 10344 Lucky Bamboo will be available, and today I am going to see if they are worthy successors to the first pair – both of which got good marks from me.

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

Page contents

1. Interesting parts in 10343 Mini Orchid
2. Building the LEGO Mini Orchid
3. Interesting parts in 10344 Lucky Bamboo
4. Building the LEGO Bamboo
5. Conclusion

10343 Mini Orchid

• Release date: 1 January 2025
• Pieces: 274

10344 Lucky Bamboo

• Release date: 1 January 2025
• Pieces: 325

Price for each: 

• US$ 29.99 on LEGO.com US
• CA$ .99 on LEGO.com Canada
• GB£ 24.99 on LEGO.com UK
• AU$ 49.99 on LEGO.com Australia
• NZ$ .99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
• DE€ 29,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
• NL€ 29,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
• FR€ 29,99 on LEGO.com France
• PLN .99 on LEGO.com Polska
• NOK ,90 on LEGO.com Norge
• DKK 269.95 on LEGO.com Danmark

Other countries click here
  

 

Interesting parts in 10343 Mini Orchid

New moulds

• 10x Plate, Round 1 x 1 with Clip On the Underside in Pearl Gold (6529802 | 5264) - with 1 extra

The 2025 lineup has already revealed several new moulds to us, but I dare to say that this will be one of the most influential. A plate with a clip on the underside has been on my parts wishlist for a decade or longer. 

Roundness adds further versatility. And it looks like a ring – I mean an actual, wear-it-on-your-finger ring, perfectly clipping onto the skeleton arm fingers of character builds.

It has the same measurements as the Plate Round 1 x 1 with Hollow Stud and Bar on Underside - Long Space (79194, the more modern of the two available moulds). Combined together, they have a small range of mobility, and the distance between their plates is 1 module (2.5 plate, shown above right). In other words, they function as a 1x1x1 module stud inverter.

If you connect the clip onto a bar that is connected to a SNOT brick, the stud will be on the same level with the stud on the brick (above left). 

If several of these are connected on a bar facing different ways, they'll align with the studs on a "Travis" brick with studs on the sides (4733). It works just as you'd wish it to work.

Years ago, I hoped this part would enable small joints when combined with 1x1 clip tiles (15712, 44842) and T-bars (4697b). However, the distance between the clips is a bit longer than 1 module, so the assembly is larger than a similar joint made with 1x2 round plates. 

The underside of the above example shows two clip-on-underside plates connected to two bar-on-underside plates, but facing different directions. This shows that the bar is positioned perfectly in the middle.

• 8x Brick Round Corner, Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 Quarter Circle in Dark Green (6526949 | 5852)

This new curved slope is the logical cousin of Brick Round Corner, Curved 3 x 3 x 1 Quarter Circle (76797), introduced in 2022. I like that piece, and this even smaller size means it'll likely be even more useful.

This lines up perfectly with curved slopes such as the 2x2x2/3 (15068, 78565), creating a corner.

Four of these form a perfect circle that's close to the classic 4x4 dish (3960, 30065, 54577 & 56641, shown above top right) and the more recent 4x4 dish with 4 studs (65138). 

Obviously, this new combo has no studs. Like the 4-stud version, it has stud notches to enable connections on studded surfaces. However, the curve profile is a continuous circle segment, whereas the 4-stud has a flat surface on top. As such, the general feel is closer to the classic dish.

The major difference is the height of the "wall" on the edge. The dish has a wall of 1 plate height before the curve - and this new part has a ½ plate wall, identical to most slopes.

Recolours

Let's begin the show with some green things. 

• 2x Plant, with Bar and Off-shoot with Stud in Green (6529818 | 1566)
• 2x Food Egg with 1.5mm Hole [Plain] in Bright Green (6529817 | 24946)
• 3x Plant, Flower, Tulip in Lime (6529813 | 5903) - with 1 extra
• 4x Technic Axle Connector Smooth [with x Hole + Orientation] in Dark Green (6529196 | 59443)

Off-shoot branches in classic green are long overdue, having appeared before in olive, bright and dark green. I'm also surprised no LEGO Botanicals set has used that standard axle connector in dark green before.

• 15x Minifig Shield Triangular in Light Nougat (6525771 | 3846) – also in 10342 Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet (see our review of 10342 by me)

This is a lot of Light Nougat shields, but not as many as in the above-mentioned bouquet.

• 10x Plate Special 1 x 1 with Tooth in Light Nougat (6525786 | 49668) – also in 10342 Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet
• 5x Plate Special, 1 x 1 Stud with 3 x 3 Ring in Pearl Gold (6529802 | 3917)

Ears and earrings! Great to see Sonic's ring finally made in pearl gold.

• 2x Slope Curved 10 x 2 x 2 with Curved End Right in Dark Green (6526947 | 77182)
• 2x Slope Curved 10 x 2 x 2 with Curved End Left in Dark Green (6526946 | 77180)

These "Porsche" bows are beautiful, and capture the essence of large leaves very well.

• 4x Brick Round Corner 5 x 5 x 3 1/3 Dome Top [Plain] in Nougat (6526943 | 76776)
• 4x Brick Round Corner 5 x 5 x 1 with Bottom Cut Outs [No Studs] [1/4 Arch] in Nougat (6536598 | 24599)

Ceramic goodness; perfect for architecture as well. The flatter pieces reminds me of Luke's Landspeeder.

Rare parts

• Weapon Hilt Symmetric in Bright Green (6468078 | 66909) - in 2 other sets
• 2x Slope Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 Inverted in Green (6399784 | 32803) - in 2 other sets
• 4x Hinge Cylinder 1 x 2 Locking with 2 Click Fingers and Axle Hole, 7 Teeth in Reddish Brown (6503738 | 57360) - also in 75397 Jabba's Sail Barge
• 3x Technic Pin Connector Hub with 1 Pin with Friction Ridges Lengthwise [Square Holes] in Green (6515234 | 65487) - also in 10370 Poinsettia (see our LEGO poinsettia review by Tom Loftus)

Nothing revolutionary here, but I'm glad to see those pin connectors, as I often use them in knee joints.

Building the LEGO Mini Orchid

The most striking thing in this model is its general silhouette; the stem curves gently for 90 degrees, finishing with some unopened buds in a green gradient. The reddish brown support stick looks especially plausible here. 

The flowers are pretty, with well-chosen colours.

The back view reveals the neat structure of the flowers, utilising the new under-clip to have a compact, 90 degree bar connection. This wouldn't have been possible without the new mould. With the green "D-SNOTs" in the middle, these flowers are part aficionado's dreams.

The back view is decent, although the LEGO® Technic structure is visible. 

The pot compliments the previous sand green and sand blue ones nicely.

Interesting parts in 10344 Lucky Bamboo

New mould

• 16x Brick Curved 1 x 2 x 1 with Curved Top in Dark Tan (6536597 | 5841)

Basically, this is Brick Curved 1 x 2 x 1 1/3 with Curved Top (6091), introduced by LEGO® Paradisa in 1992, with its bottommost plate layer chipped off. 

Generally, the New Elementary team agree that this is an overall improvement. The only cases where the old one is better are when the extra height is needed and a 1x1 plate wouldn't work – for example because it doesn't fit a Technic pin, or the obscure technique with old narrow vertical clip (4985a or b), stuffed into the antistud. This new 5841 fits those clips, too, by the way.

As expected, this has the same curve radius of 1 module and fits Brick Arch 1 x 3 x 2 Curved Top (6005, 92903).

Recolours

• 3x Brick Round 1 x 1 diameter Tube with 90 Degree Elbow (2 x 2 x 1) and Axle Holes (Crossholes) at each end in Bright Green (6526749 | 25214)
• 3x Brick Round, Half 1 x 2 in Bright Green (6526750 | 68013)
• 6x Plate Round 1 x 1 with Vertical Bar in Bright Green (6526751 | 3661)

Bright green isn't my most beloved LEGO colour, but I like the macaroni tube especially.

 

• 9x Wheel Wheelchair with Fixed Hard Rubber Tire, with Pin Hole in Tan (6527050 | 80441)

This is unexpected. I never thought we'd get this tyre in monochrome tan; rubber and everything. I think these could be used in character models, maybe in shoulders, filling the gaps of the joint.

New prints

• 3x Tile Round 2 x 2 with Hollow Bamboo Pattern in Tan (6529237)
• Tile Round 2 x 2 with Ornamental Pattern in Pearl Gold (6516513)

It's surprising to get new prints in LEGO Botanicals, but the bamboo-ends are essential to the set. 

The coin is similar to some existing ornamental pearl gold 2x2 round tile prints, but new nonetheless. It is hidden under the stone in the finished model, and is something like an Easter egg (it refers not to the Easter bunny but to some other sort of tradition).

Rare parts

• 8x Brick Round Corner 5 x 5 x 1 with Bottom Cut Outs [No Studs] [1/4 Arch] in Dark Tan (6268915 | 24599) - has appeared once in 60233 Donut Shop Opening in 2019
• 9x Slope Curved 2 x 1 Inverted in Green (6505133 | 24201)  - in 2 other sets

In fact, the round corner mould has been updated slightly, so this is technically a recolour rather than just rare. Either way, 8 is a good quantity.

• 18x Plant, Leaf 2 x 6 x 1 with 2 Studs in Dark Green (6510113 | 3565) - also in 10340 Wreath (read our review of the LEGO Wreath by Tom Loftus)

Aren't they pretty? I like how delicious they look in these photos.

Building the LEGO Bamboo

The finished build features three stalks of bamboo, growing from trans-clear water among some pebbles. The pot is wider than on the other Gentlemen, in order to fit all of these elements. 

This is the second LEGO Botanicals set without any kind of flower - the first one was 10340 Wreath. As a result, this has more to prove than most of the sets in this theme.

The back view looks similar, but the connection of the branches is not very elegant; the sand green 1x1 Technic axle hole bricks and the adjacent 1x1 round bricks stand out. I would have expected this in sets a decade ago, but not with the generally high quality of today.

The bamboo's pattern of round bricks, plates and wheelchair wheels is not apparent in the direct side views, but looks splendid on a slight downwards angle. The colours of the bamboo are great, and the printed tiles finish the stalks nicely. 

However, I have two gripes. The join to the base looks awkward, as the bamboo grows straight out of sheer rock. Furthermore, the light bluish grey stripes in the middle of the rock seem unnatural. 

I also think that dark tan is not the ideal hue for the pot. The colours of the whole model are quite mundane compared to other LEGO Botanicals, as there are no vibrant flowers. Thus, something like dark red would have added a complimentary colour to make the arrangement stronger.

Conclusion

In general, LEGO Botanicals sets are good as both part packs and as set designs. This is true with 10343 Mini Orchid as well. Despite the relatively small piece count of 274 for US$29.99/ £24.99/ 29.99€/ AU$49.99, the value feels good, as there are plenty of new moulds and recolours. The set design looks great, too. 

10344 Lucky Bamboo has 325 parts and thus better numerical value for the same price. 16 of the new curved slopes are welcome, but there are not many recolours or rare parts. The set design is pretty good, but the limitations of the source plant – and some design shortcomings – avert it from reaching the high quality of the other Gentlemen. Nevertheless, it's not bad set - just not as obviously impressive as the others.

  

 

READ MORE: Review of the 2025 LEGO Fountain Garden

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