This study reports the isolation and characterization of seven highly polymorphic microsatellite loci in Silene vulgaris (Caryophyllaceae). The loci were isolated from two libraries constructed from genomic DNA enriched for CA and GA repeats. These markers yielded nine to 40 alleles per locus (mean 22.1) in a survey of 45 individuals from a single population located in the western Swiss Alps. Average observed heterozygosity ranged from 16.2 to 77.4%. These microsatellite loci should be valuable tools for studying fine-scale genetic structure.