Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) are closely-related species with a few notable differences. When growing in vine form, the two varieties grow in opposite directions: Chinese wisteria climbs counter-clockwise, and the Japanese variety grows clockwise. The leaves of Chinese wisteria feature up to 13 leaflets, while Japanese wisteria leaves may have up to 19 leaflets. The two species are often crossed to create new variations of wisteria (Wisteria sinensis x floribunda).