In the Brothers Grimm tale “Little Briar Rose,” a thorn hedge grows around the castle after the princess falls asleep. The hedge is part of the enchantment that places the entire royal court into a long sleep.
The princess pricks her finger on a spindle on her fifteenth birthday, fulfilling the curse pronounced at her christening. After she falls asleep, the castle’s inhabitants sleep as well, and a thorny barrier gradually surrounds the castle.
The Grimm version is commonly known in English through the title “Sleeping Beauty,” but “Little Briar Rose” is closer to the German title, “Dornröschen.” The hedge is sometimes described as a wall of thorns rather than ordinary roses. In the story, princes attempt to reach the castle, but the hedge prevents them until the appointed time.