GaN nucleation layers were grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) and the effect of growth temperature on the structural properties of GaN nucleation layers for nanorods was investigated by synchrotron x-ray scattering and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). For the samples grown at different temperatures, two-component rocking profiles of (002) GaN Bragg peaks for the GaN nucleation layers were observed with one very sharp and the other broad. It was shown that the two-component rocking profile could be qualitatively explained by surface morphology, which was in good agreement with AFM result, from which we could conclude that relatively low temperature is favorable for GaN nanorods formation.