The search for hierarchically organized ZnO nanocrystals have been intense in recent years, due to both fundamental interest in nanocrystal growth subjects and their potential applications as components for building nanodetectors, optoelectronic, vacuum microelectronic, and spintronic nanodevices. We reported the first observation of a variety of novel nanostructures, such as nanocandle arrays, wine-bottle-shaped rod arrays, nanorivet arrays, periodic diamond-string and needle arrays, nanofern and needle arrays, tooth-shaped belt, spinal-shaped nanostructures and bamboo-shaped nanorod via an atmosphere pressure physical vapor deposition method. The unique feature of our method is atmosphere chamber pressure, which can induce chaos and fluctuation of source vapor and facilities multiply growth mechanisms to have competing dominating effects on the crystal growth of ZnO. The SEM and photoluminescence spectra confirm that those nanostructured ZnO crystals possess satisfactory structural and optical qualities. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.