We report a facile, two-step hydrothermal growth method to synthesize a novel hierarchical SnO₂–Fe₂O₃ heterostructure, consisting of a micron-sized primary SnO₂ nanosheet base and sub-10 nm diameter Fe₂O₃ nanorod branches grown on the nanosheet surface. In addition to the high theoretical lithium storage capacities of both oxide components, the two-dimensional SnO₂ nanosheets offer a high surface area and fast charge transport pathways, and the one-dimensional α-Fe₂O₃ nanorods serve as structural spacers between individual SnO₂ nanosheets, thus leading to an excellent anode material for lithium-ion batteries with enhanced capacity and cycling property. As a proof-of-concept, lithium-ion battery anodes made of these hierarchical SnO₂–Fe₂O₃ heterostructures have shown a high initial discharge capacity of 1632 mA h g⁻¹ at 400 mA g⁻¹, which is retained at 325 mA h g⁻¹ after 50 cycles, better than the anodes made of pure SnO₂ nanosheets and α-Fe₂O₃ nanorods grown under similar conditions.