I understand that there are a myriad of different cultural considerations
that leave a broad question like this pretty much redundant, but if you
please, let me posit it anyway.

Take a plant, in spike and laden with flower buds. Will such a plant want
more water than an equivalent plant not in spike (leaving seasonal and
weather conditions aside). Or perhaps put more simply, does the act of
throwing up a spike make a plant thirstier than it normally would be?

Thanks kindly for thoughts,

sneff