evidence: Roses with thorns have long been a symbol of adversity, as well as sacrifice. In Oscar Wilde's famous work, "The Nightingale and the Rose," a nightingale pierces its breast on a rose thorn so the lover may have a red rose for his beloved. The growths on roses are technically prickles, not thorns. Thorns are hard woody outgrowths of branches, such as cactus and trees, according to the American Rose Society, while prickles are soft growths. Roses evolved with prickles as a protective adaptation. Rose prickles may curve downward to prevent animals from climbing and eating them. Other members of the Rosacea family, such as blackberries and raspberries, also have prickles. - Roses with thorns have long been a symbol of adversity, as well as sacrifice.