Thanks for the quick response @twozerofoxtrot, I really appreciate your insight. I did a forum search on Lifegiving Spores and there seems to be a general consensus that the power is somewhat lacking overall and in need of a rework which, for me, is encouraging. You raise a really good point about Spore Cloud too - something I hadn't considered fully.
I'd be grateful to hear from anyone who also has hands on experience with the powerset also in case there's a method by which the absence of LS/SC can be mitigated effectively. Dissenting opinions are also welcome!