Well aligned ZnO microrods array with nanospikes are fabricated on silicon substrate using thermal chemical vapor transport. The field emission property of samples is characterized. The low turn-on electronic field and the high current density are achieved with ZnO microrods array with nanospikes as the emitters. It is suggested that the special morphology of samples play a crucial role for its excellent field emission property, and the samples can be a promising candidate for an emitter. The growth mechanism of samples can be explained by the combination of vapor–solid (VS) and secondary nucleation processes.