ZrC whiskers were prepared on graphite through precursor transformation method. Effects of heat treatment temperature, catalyst concentration and heat treatment time on phase composition and microstructure of the ZrC whiskers were investigated. Growth mechanism of the ZrC whisker was analyzed. Results indicated that as heat treatment temperature increasing, catalyst activity increased and energy barrier for the carbothermal reduction reaction reduced, resulting in a gradual increase of both production and diameter of the ZrC whiskers. Catalyst could provide nucleation points for the ZrC whiskers, production and diameter of the ZrC whiskers firstly increased as the catalyst concentration increasing. While, when catalyst concentration was over high, length-diameter ratio of the ZrC whiskers decreased and some whiskers were agglomerated. Heat treatment time affected extent of the carbothermal reduction reaction. Production and length-diameter ratio of the ZrC whiskers increased firstly and then decreased with the increase of heat treatment time. When heat treatment temperature was 1600 °C, catalyst concentration was 0.4 mol/L, heat treatment time was 2 h, the ZrC whiskers with diameter of around 130 nm and length of tens of microns were synthesized. The whiskers were composed of a single-crystal ZrC core and an amorphous ZrO2 shell. Growth of the ZrC whiskers was controlled by solid-liquid-solid (S-L-S) mechanism and the Ostwald ripening mechanism.