Flowerlike LiFePO4 particles self-assembled by plate-like crystals with about 200 nm thickness were prepared by the poly(ethylene glycol)-assisted hydrothermal synthesis. Poly(ethylene glycol) in the hydrothermal system played an important role in reducing the thickness of the plate-like LiFePO4 crystals as a co-solvent and forming the flower- like structure as a soft template. The flowerlike LiFePO4 exhibits high discharge capacity of 140 mAh/g and shows quite good cycling performance in the lithium-ion batteries. Con- sidering that the conductive carbon in the obtained LiFePO4 is negligible, the excellent cell performance suggests that the flowerlike LiFePO4 is a promising cathode material for the lithium-ion batteries.