We report on the growth of unusual star shaped Bi islands and ordered arrays of nanorods on highly ordered pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) substrates. The rods and stars grow with {0 1 2}(Bi)vertical bar vertical bar{0 0 1}(HOPG) and are preferentially aligned with the high symmetry directions of the substrate. As more Bi is deposited, the film undergoes a transition to the {0 0 1} orientation. These features are a result of a complex interplay between kinetics, thermodynamics, and the crystallography of the substrate and island material. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.