[Aim] The effects of gibberellins (GAs) on the vegetative growth and clonal propagation of the invasive plant Eichhornia crassipes were studied to better understand these mechanisms for its control and utilization.[Method] E. crassipes plantlets were cultivated under greenhouse conditions using modified Hoagland solution for 4 weeks and were periodically sprayed with 50 μmol·L^-1 gibberellic acid (GA₃), followed by measurement of vegetative growth and clonal propagation parameters, including height, root length, perimeters of bulbous petioles, leaf numbers, width and length of leaves, chlorophyll and nitrogen contents in leaves, weight, root weight, ramet numbers, as well as the stolon length.[Result] Compared with control, of which plants were sprayed with sterilized water, the GA₃ treatment increased plant height, whilst some other parameters including root length, leaf width, leaf area, chlorophyll and nitrogen contents, weight, root weight were all significantly decreased. In addition, GA₃-treated plants presented heart-shaped leaves instead of typical kidney shape. The leaf numbers and leaf length showed little difference between treatments. Moreover, GA₃-treated E. crassipes barely produced ramets.[Conclusion] Exogenously applied GA₃ modified the morphology of E. crassipes and depressed its leaf development, and thereby suppressed its biomass accumulation and clonal propagation.