We report intense green photoluminescence (PL) from vertically aligned indium gallium nitride (InxGa1-xN) nanorod arrays. The formation of InxGa1-xN/GaN-heterostructure nanorods increases the localization depth of the radially confined carriers (> 100 meV). Temperature dependent PL peak energy of InGaN nanorods shows the characteristic S-shaped behavior, indicating the prominent carrier trapping in band-tail states associated with the nonuniformity of In content. Time-resolved PL (TRPL) response decays biexponentially and the dominant slow decay component of TRPL for InxGa1-xN nanorods is due to the transfer of excitons to the localized states before the radiative decay. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America