Salix nigra bark of the tree contains salicylic acid, a chemical compound similar to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It may also be used as an environmental restorative. Swamp trees in general are, by necessity, good at surviving and thriving in areas where highly mobile environmental toxins are present. Black Willow is very resistant to herbivory and flooding and is also a fantastic erosion control tool. Thus, it is useful for any sort of marshland stabilization or restorative as long as the roots don’t penetrate any clay liner that may be in place. In a relatively extensive phytoremediation study, "Salix nigra" demonstrated some success
Gallic acid Gallic acid Gallic acid (also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) is a trihydroxybenzoic acid, a type of phenolic acid, found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark, and other plants. The chemical formula of gallic acid is CH(OH)COOH. It is found both free and as part of hydrolyzable tannins. The gallic acid groups are usually bonded to form dimers such as ellagic acid. Hydrolyzable tannins break down on hydrolysis to give gallic acid and glucose or ellagic acid and glucose, known as gallotannins and ellagitannins, respectively. Gallic acid forms intermolecular esters (depsides) such as digallic and trigallic acids, and