Most "Ascarina" are endemic to high humidity montane forests ("1000m"-3300m elevation), with an exception of "A. lucida" (0m-1500m elevation). The plants grow best in sunny disturbed regions, a trait shared with its sister genus "Hedyosmum", but not with the other two genera of "Chloranthaceae". The sole exception to this amongst the genus is "A. swamyana", which grows best in shady regions. "Ascarina" and "Hedyosmum" were among the first angiosperms to recruit seedlings in brighter areas, and this ability to grow in open areas has been proposed as the explanation for "Ascarina" being anemophilous.