Biomass-derived carbons are widely considered and used in energy storage and conversion fields. In this work, chrysanthemum, a sustainable biomass raw material, is employed as a carbon source to fabricate a hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon. The as-obtained hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon exhibits superior characteristics for Li+/Na+ storage, such as large surface area (800 m(2) g(-1)), hierarchical pore structure (consisting of micro-, meso-, and macropores) and nitrogen doping effect. Benefiting from its unique features, it not only can provide more active sites for the Li+/Na+ storage, but also can promote rapid charge transportation. Hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon, explored as anode for lithium ion batteries, delivers attractive electrochemical performances, which display a reversible capacity of 975 mAh g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1) after 100 cycles. The as-prepared anode also displays a high-rate performance and a capacity of 347 mAh g(-1), can be achieved at 5 A g(-1). Moreover, the hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon as anode material in sodium half-cell shows high reversible capacity of 205 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) after 100 cycles. This green and facile fabrication strategy for hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon from renewable biomass may show great potential in the commercial application of lithium and sodium ion batteries. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.