New mould analysis: 11501 Tulip Bouquet and 11509 Flowering Cactus from LEGO® Botanical Collection

2026 is almost here and that means new moulds are on the way! Today we take a look at five exciting new elements found in the upcoming LEGO® Botanicals sets 11501 Tulip Bouquet and 11509 Flowering Cactus. 

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
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11501 Tulip Bouquet

• Release date: 1 January 2026
• Pieces: 576
• Price: US$59.99/ £54.99/ 59.99€/ AU$99.99

11509 Flowering Cactus

• Release date: 1st January 2026
• Pieces: 482
• Price: US$34.99/ £24.99/ 29.99€/ AU$49.99

Set 11501 on LEGO.com
Set 11509 on LEGO.com

New moulds in 11501 Tulip Bouquet

4x5 Triple curved shell (7613)

Even though it's used prominently for petals in 11501 Tulip Bouquet, we can't help but call this shapely element the "VW Beetle Bonnet". In fact, the resemblance is so strong, we wonder if a LEGO® Speed Champions Herbie The Love Bug or Bumblebee is in the works? 

That's pure speculation though; for now it's just a petal, and it comes in 4 colours:

• Bright Pink (6578888)
• Dark Purple (6578889)
• Red (6595576)
• Yellow (6578890)

Its geometry is delightfully in-LEGO® System, with the nose matching up with 2x2 round bricks, the side cut-outs sitting over 1x3 curved slopes (50950), and the top curve lining up with a 1x4 double curved slope (93273).

The overall curvature even matches a 1x4x1⅔ slope (3573) which means *gasp* it sits snugly under a 1x5x2 arch (3572) – possibly the most gratifying parts combo I've found this year.

Connection points are sparse, with just the projected 1x2 plate providing studs and anti-studs top and bottom. The recess adjacent to the anti-studs allows the part to rest on a few more studs, but also permits elements like this 2x2 plate with ball socket (14704) - a feature that comes in handy for construction of the pink tulip heads in this set. 

Contributor Eero Okkonen pointed out the Beetle Bonnet has some resemblance to a 9x3x1⅔ bubble canopy (47844). The fact that screen came in opaque colours (dark blue, dark red and lime) makes the association all the more apparent.

We hope to see this new element released in transparent colours too as it would make a cool, if compact, windscreen.

Here's some fun combinations with leaf moulds 7096 (above left) and 3565 (above right): not the most practical techniques, but certainly satisfying ones!

Speaking of leaves...

1x3 Leaf (7905)

The new mould 7905 isn't quite a single-leaf version of 7264 (above right) because it's a little broader, but it's definitely a relation, and a great addition to the library of botanical parts.

The middle portion of the leaf sits neatly over adjacent studs, but the downturned tip requires a tiled surface for clearance. The through-stud accepts a bar no problem, as expected.

Set 11501 Tulip Bouquet includes only red (6593170) and yellow (6593169) leaves, but we've spotted one in a more appropriate green in the upcoming LEGO® Creator 3-in-1 set 31377 Turtle with a Water Lily Flower.

New moulds in 11509 Flowering Cactus

3x3 Ring (7610)

11509 Flowering Cactus introduces a new 3x3 ring, coming in sand green (6562752 | 7610).

It feels as though we're constantly having to revise this family photo of circular bar elements. The last update was just a few months ago when Elspeth analysed Tile Special 2 x 2 with Ring (6805). Not that we're complaining of course; the more the merrier!

The 'Sonic ring' (3917, pictured above in yellow) and life preserver (30340, medium azure) are this latest addition's closest relatives; all three have the same 3-module diameter and similar 1-stud connection points.

For more on those existing parts, see my review of elements introduced in the LEGO® Sonic The Hedgehog™ theme.

It also feels right at home alongside the 2x2 (30663, 16091) and 3x3 (2819) steering wheels; it even nests inside the latter rather nicely (above, top right). Along the same lines, a LEGO® Technic driving ring extension (35186) can sit comfortably on top (above, bottom right).

Here's the 3-module diameter demonstrated by some clips and plates. Back when the Sonic ring was introduced, we noted that bar-sized rings smaller than the 5x5 Ecto-1 steering wheel (67811) were supposedly a big no-no. Evidently that issue is well and truly forgotten because smaller rings like this one keep appearing.

More fun with clips! Note how the ring's cut-outs act as locators for combinations in multiples of five. 

It has a lot of utility for an element so small. We expect it to be used in the core of many flowers in future LEGO Botanicals sets, but it'll surely pop up elsewhere too.

2x2 curved plate (7904)

Compared to the elements discussed so far, this new curved plate is less exciting geometry-wise, but its introduction feels long overdue. 

Discerning a family tree for this element is simple given it's merely a quarter of a 4x4 round plate. However, just because there isn't much to analyse, doesn't mean this little guy won't be useful:

For years builders have struggled to secure 4-module half cylinder elements (example above right) without a jagged edge or dedicating space behind to accommodate larger curved plates. Similar problems arise when working with stacked plates too, so to have a neat, 2x2 alternative is great! What a wonderful addition to the basic parts palette.

Speaking of...

2x1 / 2x2 Bracket (7674)

We recently discussed this element in an interview with Chris Stamp, Design Manager at The LEGO Group about the new elements coming to LEGO City in 2026. Now that we've got our hands on a few of them, we can conduct some analysis of our own:

It's an addition to the existing 1x2 to 2x2 bracket family, with the 1x2 plate section aligned centrally, rather than top (44728, 21712, above left) or bottom (99207, above right). 

An advantage of the centre-alignment is that the bracket can be sandwiched by plates within a 2x2 module area, providing a stronger SNOT connection compared to its peers – and a studless one at that.

A natural counterpart to the new bracket is the 2x2 / 1x2 bracket (41682, pictured above left). When paired with a plate, they span 3 modules which could form a basis of some compact, yet sturdy, sideways construction.

Above right is another bracket combo showing the half-plate offset between the newcomer, and existing brackets 99781 (blue) and 99780 (yellow).

Here's a nice stud reversal technique suggested by Thomas Jenkins, made by placing two of the new brackets on a plate facing opposite directions. 

In the aforementioned interview, Chris remarks:

I would like to expand this family; I would love a 1-module wide version, and I would love some other versions of it, because I just see all the benefits.

We agree! Any iteration would be welcome. For consistency sake, we're imagining an inverse version of 4585 (above far left), just as the new bracket is the inverse of 41682 (above middle left). Or perhaps a 1x1 plate version would be better - more compact for greater versatility? For now, such variants exist only in our minds (and Photoshop... and possibly within other brands? How would we know), but it's fun to speculate nonetheless!

New moulds: tick! In part 2, we'll turn our attention the many, many recolours in 11501 Tulip Bouquet, 11504 Peace Lily, 11509 Flowering Cactus and 11508 Daisies - as well as a look at the beautiful finished builds and their techniques. 

Set 11501 on LEGO.com
Set 11509 on LEGO.com

 

READ MORE: Review of the CMF 71051 Animals Series 28

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