Verticillium wilt of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) caused by Verticillium alfalfae was first reported in 2016 in China. To determine the characteristics of pathogen for use in disease management, the conditions of growth, sporulation and germination were tested on different media, temperatures, pH, photoperiod, carbon and nitrogen compounds. The results showed that the pathogen grew and sporulated at 5–30 °C on potato dextrose agar (PDA) over a wide pH range of 4.0 to 11.0 and also grew and sporulated among different photoperiods. The optimal temperature, pH, and photoperiod conditions for growth and sporulation of the pathogen were 25 °C,pH 6.0, and 24 h of incubation in the dark, respectively. Moreover, all the media, carbon and nitrogen sources that were tested supported the growth and sporulation of the pathogen. The optimal medium for growth was Czapek medium, and the colony could grow best on media whose carbon source originated from maltose or lactose. The most effective nitrogen source utilized sodium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, or ammonium chloride. The optimal medium for sporulation was CMA, and the highest amount of sporulation was observed when lactose or starch was used as the carbon source and peptone was used as the nitrogen source. For conidial germination, the conidia of the pathogen germinated at all temperatures from 5 to 35 °C, and the optimal temperatures ranged from 20 to 25 °C.The percentage germination increased in parallel with that of the relative humidity, and the optimal humidity was 98 ± 1% RH.