The fungus overwinters as spores in leaf litter. In the spring, wind and rain carry the spores upward. When they land on leaves, they begin to grow, creating asexual pycnidia (also called conidiophores) which hold conidia. The conidia disperse and this cycle continues for the duration of the season, producing and spreading more and more conidia, until leaves carrying the spores fall and lack of resources or stress causes the spores to settle in for the winter.
