One of Idaho’s “Big Trees” fell in windstorm

The city of Coeur d’Alene lost part of its horticultural heritage in Tuesday’s windstorm.

A hybrid mountain ash listed in Idaho’s Big Tree registry was one of three trees that crashed into the historic Jewett House at Sanders Beach. The registry is part of a national program to locate and recognize the largest individual tree of each species in the state.

“We lost the whole front porch, and there’s damage to the roof line,” said Steve Anthony, the city’s parks and recreation director, of damage sustained by the Jewett house. “We won’t know the extent of the damage until we can get the cleanup done.”

The three-story house at Sanders Beach was built in 1917 by one of Idaho’s early timber families. The house was later donated to the city by Potlatch Corp.

One of the home’s early residents probably planted the mountain ash, Anthony said. The tree was nominated for the state registry in 1991 by Karen Haskew, the city’s former urban forester. According to the registry, the mountain ash was 34 feet tall.