Black alder (Alnus glutinosa Gaertn.) is an actinorhizal tree species that is becoming increasingly interesting as a pioneer species and a soil improvement species, as well as for its ecological benefits for river ecosystems and bank stabilisation. Little is known at the molecular level about its genetic variation and population structure. Microsatellite markers suitable for use for A. glutinosa were searched for by data mining the publicly available Alnus sequences and by testing cross-genera amplification of 26 available Corylus SSR markers. We report the characteristics of 11 microsatellite markers that are usable for A. glutinosa. The observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.160 to 0.920 and 0.147 to 0.882, respectively. Two loci showed significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium. This deviation is likely to be related to the presence of null alleles. These markers will be useful in genetic population studies and the preservation of A. glutinosa diversity.