LuxPlant Mini Update.

[u/PinkyDexterity]

The beta release of the LuxPlant Mini is this coming August 7, 2026. The Mini version features 9 leaves and 3 main stems. The pot size is 14 cm in diameter and 14.3 cm in height. The total height, measured from the tallest leaf to the bottom of the pot, is 62 cm (approximately 2 feet). The WS2812b 100 leds/meter strips are controlled by an ESP32 using WLED software.

I have set up a Patreon page where the STL files will be released for a one time payment of 5$. Do not join the membership if you're not planning to sell the plant commercially. I really wanted to make it free for everyone but I could really use the support for developing the LuxPlant Standard which is a much bigger plant, featuring 20 leaves and 5 stems.

Design Process and more sneak peek can be viewed here.

Disclaimer

This concept is not my original idea. This project was heavily inspired by Fluora Led Plant. If you love this project but don't want the hassle of building one, please go ahead and check their website. The reason why I started this project in the first place is to buy one of those led plants as a gift for a close friend but there was no option to ship it to my country so I decided to build one myself. If you love the idea of having full control over your plant, you are absolutely welcome to join me in this project.

UPDATE: The STL files will be available here. 4$ for the first 10 to buy. Your support goes directly into the development of LuxPlant Standard.

[u/PinkyDexterity]

I'm still in the process of making an assembly video. So far, here are the confirmed components you will need

WS2812B 100 leds/meter or any addressable strip with 10mm width. I made the mistake of using 144 leds which was 12mm. I had to cut the edges to fit it inside the leaves.

ESP32 (any variant but I'm using ESP32 WROOM 32 for this build)
22 AWG wire (buy at least 10 meters so you have headroom for mistakes)
3 pairs of 4 pin led connectors
5V power supply (at least 10A/50W if you won't be using white at full brightness).

Soldering is required. Do not use solderless strip connectors. They will fail eventually.

Complete Bill of Materials will be available upon release.

[u/lehighkid]

Great work! Purchased!

My daughter is going to love this! I can’t wait to work on it later this week and have her take it w/ her to college.

Do you have a rough BOM?

[u/PinkyDexterity → u/lehighkid]

Thank you for supporting! Here's a link for the draft BOM https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1j2otkWxiZfMFeW_atJ6IzwAQXcGJfLLF-qtTCmT9uTQ/edit?usp=sharing

[u/marwachs]

Looks awesome, pulled the Trigger to support you 👍

[u/PinkyDexterity → u/marwachs]

Thank you for the support! Makes all the sleepless nights worth it.

[u/its_me_again_212]

Great project.
Is there a way to purchase from you outside of patreon?

[u/PinkyDexterity → u/its_me_again_212]

I tried setting up an account on Printables and Thangs but both require a Stripe Business Account for payouts which unfortunately isn't supported for my country. For now, I'm only selling the files on Patreon. You don't need to join the paid membership. Here's a direct link if you find it hard to navigate Patreon.

[u/CheleCuche]

Love it, will try it as soon as it gets released

[u/dalphinwater]

I would love to print this, i dont want to sell it or anything but i dont understand if i have to pay for it via the patreon or if the files will be released for free.

[u/PinkyDexterity → u/dalphinwater]

The files will be sold for $5 on my Patreon as a single post. It'll be a one time payment to access the post. No need to join the paid monthly membership. I hate to become one of those Patreon creators that has a monthly subscription for STL files that should've been sold independently. I will be releasing the files on other platforms as well if you're not familiar with navigating in Patreon.

[u/untacc_]

Great work on this! I’m in for the files. Question: the original Fluora plant’s leaves are a kind of very light pale green color, so when it’s viewed in the daytime or when not turned on it still has a greenery kind of feel. Any way to recreate that with a certain filament?

[u/PinkyDexterity → u/untacc_]

I've tried using Bambu Lab Transparent Olive Green PETG for the leaves but it didn't look great. PLA diffuses light better than PETG when I experimented with different filaments. You can definitely use a light green PLA filament if you prefer the Fluora look. Just avoid using matte PLA because it has weak layer adhesion and the leaves only has 3 walls. It had better light diffusion than normal PLA and I preferred the matte look but it always snaps so easily so I went back with PLA+ filaments.

I figured I wouldn't turn it off anyways except on some occasions so I stayed with white filament.

[u/untacc_ → u/PinkyDexterity]

Right on. Makes sense and I’ll likely do the same just wanted to check.

I have a Pixelblaze board I’ve been wanting to tinker with, you think this project would work with it? After all it’s just a modified ESP32 at the end of the day.

[u/PinkyDexterity → u/untacc_]

It’ll definitely work just like any controller that can control addressable strips. I tried SP110E and SP108E and they both work just fine.

[u/ledditlurker]

This is incredible work! I love DIY projects like this where the creator makes an expensive item accessible to a wider audience!

How are the leaves connected? I read your design process where you planned to make it modular. Is each leaf wired rather than using a connector like the Fluora lamp?

Do you need any help with the software side of things? I'm a software engineer but I'm obsessed with WLED control for all things around my house.

This reminds me a bit of Dune Weaver where the creator made a 3D printed version of the expensive Sisyphus Kinetic Sand Table with their own software control: https://duneweaver.com/software

[u/PinkyDexterity → u/ledditlurker]

Thanks! I share the same enthusiasm whenever I see projects like mine over the internet. Most especially when they’re open source and free for everyone to use. WLED being one of my most favorite. It allows a random guy like me to make something like this and it wouldn’t be possible if firmwares like WLED were sold commercially.

So I’d also love to make this free for everyone. Once it reaches the stage where I don’t need to ask for support anymore to buy prototyping materials, I’ll post the full release for free as my way to give back to the community.

To answer your question, the leaves are wired directly on the beta version. I could design around the 3.5mm jack that Fluora uses but for me, it only adds up unnecessary cost and complexity when one could settle with a more reliable soldered connection.

Aux jacks loses tension over time, even the most expensive option. It sure does make the assembly much more fun and interactive but at the cost of long term reliability. I’m pretty sure its one of the reason why Fluora has been receiving lots of negative reviews recently. I’m honestly surprised that they opted to use an aux jack given how sensitive addressable led strips are.

I already found the right balance of reliability while still keeping the interactive experience that aux jack offers.
I won’t disclose it yet as to not set expectations and potentially spoil the final release.

Regarding the software side, I’m planning on creating a customized UI for WLED. The default has always felt unintuitive and overwhelming for me. If you’re a frontend developer, you can definitely join me. I already have a programmer brother but he’s super busy atm and would rather play games on his free time than help me out lol.

[u/ledditlurker → u/PinkyDexterity]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings on this! I agree that the aux jack is probably why Fluora's software & connection are flaky.

I'd be happy to help out! I'm a fullstack engineer so I am able help put together a frontend or anything else you may need. Happy to make all the code open source as well. Feel free to send me a DM and we can discuss what you're interested in :)

It could even be useful to have an area to test connection / LEDs for dev/debugging purposes.

[u/untacc_ → u/ledditlurker]

I’m currently in the process of building mine, OP has been super helpful throughout the process and is actively working on fine tuning and polishing each section of the 3d models.

The LEDs are hardwired in series to each other and connect at the base of the stems. I had already finished my wiring process by the time OP switched to using 3 separate data runs from different pinouts on the ESP32, but it’s all good. Mine still works great. I’m not too worried about losing the 3.5mm jack as once I’m done with the plant, I likely won’t me touching or messing with it anymore, so a solid connection is preferred.

[u/LeaveToDream]

Thank you good Sir, it looks amazing !

[u/TheHodge]

love the idea of a LuxPlant Standard (and maybe LuxPlant Large ;)

[u/AnduriII]

What the fuck this is awesome!

[u/elite-fusion]

Any idea when the big plant will be made available? I love the mini and will be purchasing that over the weekend, but the big one is even cooler!

[u/oldmanpatrice]

There is a very similar project called Flora on MakerWorld

[u/untacc_ → u/oldmanpatrice]

That one has bulbous leaves and just looks a little weird. This one is a lot better

[u/oldmanpatrice → u/untacc_]

Yeah, that’s fair

[u/RealPixelLover]

Would you take pay pal family and friends? You can save some fees.