This research article provides a pathway of controlled growth of ZnO nano-rods, -flowers, -needles or -tubes without external chemical catalysis, via a simple wet chemical method by control of synthesis temperature. Morphological effects on structural and optical properties are studied by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy shows slight enhancement in the band gap, with increasing synthesis temperature. Photoluminescence (PL) data indicates the existence of defect in the nanomaterials, which is more elaborately explained by schematic band diagram. A sharp and strong peak in Raman spectroscopy is observed at ∼438cm−1 is assigned to the E2high optical mode of the ZnO, indicating the wurtzite hexagonal phase with high crystallinity.