Hierarchical LiFePO4 microplates have been synthesized by a solvothermal approach in ethanol solvent with self-prepared amorphous FePO4 particles as precursors. The microplates expose a large scale of the (010) faces with a mean length of 2.5 mu m, width of 1.5 mu m and thickness of 200-500 nm. Furthermore, the hierarchical LiFePO4 microplates are composed of nanosheets with a size of 50 rim and thickness of 10 nm. When the solvent ethanol was replaced by a mixture of water-ethanol (1/1, by volume) in the reaction, a distinctive morphology, the LiFePO4 microflower, was obtained. After coating carbon, the LiFePO4/C microplates deliver a high discharge capacity of 157 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 C, and exhibit excellent rate capability and cycling performance, which are much better than those for the LiFePO4/C microflowers.