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
Salix alba from the wood was important for gunpowder manufacture. The bark tannin was used in the past for tanning leather. The wood is used to make cricket bats. "S. alba" wood has a low density and a lower transverse compressive strength. This allows the wood to bend, which is why it can be used to make baskets. Willow bark contains Indole-3-butyric acid, which is a plant hormone stimulating root growth; willow trimmings are sometimes used to clone rootstock in place of commercially synthesized root stimulator. It is also used for ritual purposes by Jews on the holiday of Sukkot. Hippocrates, Galen,