Abstract: 【Objective】 To study the effects of fenced enclosure and free grazing on growth patterns and endogenous hormone levels of Seriphidium transiliense, and to provide theoretical reference for vegetation restoration in degraded Artemisia desert grassland ecosystems. 【Methods】 Fencing and free grazing Seriphidium transiliense were taken as the research objects, and the methods in botany, plant physiology and turf management in the plant morphology, plant endogenous hormones and "four times the amount of" approach to Seriphidium transiliense plant height, coverage, density, biomass, primary branch number and secondary branch number were applied to conduct statistics, The dry weight of leaves, stem and root of each plant were measured by drying method, and the contents of endogenous hormones (IAA, ABA, CTK, GAs and ETH) were measured by targeting method. Three transect lines were set for each treatment, and 40 quadrats were measured by each transect line. Furthermore, the growth rule and endogenous hormone changes of Seriphidium transiliense under the two treatments were summarized. 【Results】 The plant height, biomass, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight and root dry weight were 2.57 times, 29.73 times, 7 times, 7.87 times, 5.21 times and 5.64 times, respectively of those fenced in Seriphidium transiliense. Fencing and free grazing had significant effects on CTK and ABA contents in leaves of Seriphidium transiliense (P < 0.05). Except GAs, there was no significant difference in the content of endogenous hormones in stem of Seriphidium transiliense between the two treatments (P< 0.01). Fencing had little effect on endogenous hormones of root system, but the content of ETH was significantly different between them (P< 0.05). 【Conclusion】 Fenced for 4 years, the morphological characteristics and growth trend of Seriphidium transiliense are in sharp contrast with the miniatures and dwarfism of free grazing, especially the IAA and CTK contents of leaves and stems are more closely related to plant height and first-order branch number.