Vertically well aligned P-doped ZnO nanowires were prepared on ZnO-Ga/glass templates at 550 degrees C by reactive evaporation without metal catalysts and the nanowires were found to be single crystalline with the würtzite structure, oriented in the c-axis direction; the P-doping shortened the physical lengths of the ZnO nanowires without changing their diameter, and furthermore, the introduction of P atoms resulted in a much weaker and broader ZnO band edge emission.