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Perennial of the Caryophyllaceae family, widely spread in Europe, from Scandinavia to Mediterranean regions, and present in Western Asia. It colonizes hedges, edges of undergrowth, cool meadows, shaded roadsides, and damp banks, from sea level to mountainous areas, preferring cool soils rich in organic matter.
The plant is dioecious — male and female flowers are borne on separate individuals — a characteristic that its epithet explicitly recalls. It forms vigorous clumps of oval-lanceolate, soft, and pubescent leaves, of medium green, from which rise branched and hairy stems reaching 30 to 60 cm. The flowers, with five deeply notched petals, are bright pink to magenta pink, sometimes paler depending on the individuals, gathered in loose and generous cymes. The tubular, hairy, and ribbed calyx is noticeably smaller than that of Silene latifolia, its close relative with white flowers.
In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from May to July, sometimes until August at higher altitudes. In cultivation, it can start as early as April-May.
Hardy and undemanding, it is suitable for natural gardens, edges of shrub beds, and cool, semi-shaded banks. It self-seeds abundantly and can form large spontaneous colonies. Several cultivars with double flowers or variegated foliage are available in horticulture.