Kangaroo Paws are related to tomatoes and eggplants and hate cold weather and damp soil. You should be able to divide a large specimen with a sharp shovel but be sure it is moved to a hot and sunny spot with great drainage. This plant does not need daily water and over watering is a common cause of death. Don't let you friend feel too bad about the loss of his smaller plants. I also drowned a few of these furry-flowering plants before I realized how drought tolerant they were. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti