It looks like chemical burn spots? RoundUp would cause the whole leaf to yellow (if it got an even spray) and i'd think the leaves would fail/die in a day or two. Maybe they were [power] washing with a strong cleaner and it was "errant" splatter?
Maybe a "friendly chat is in order.
BTW: Any branches hanging over your fence [or roots invading] your neighbors yard is fair and legal game. They can cut ( as long as the cuts don't "kill" the plants).

-George

I don't think it was Round up either, but it's the only herbicide I really know about so I wasn't sure what else it could have been.

I know they can trim off overhanging branches, and I would have no issue with that at all. The picture is from my side, and I don't even think the tree overhangs the fence. It's just unfortunately close to the wisteria (which I think was the target). The wisteria is on our side, but does go to theirs. It's not on the fence it's on a special structure my DH ran along the fence. We've been working to really reign it in, got away from me the last few years as I have two young boys :-)

I think I'll see if DH wants to approach them over this, but I'm really hoping that they don't do it again. As far as I can tell, they do not cut the wisteria on their side either. So I do the best I can.

It took ~ 4 applications of RoundUp to kill my wisteria last year. RoundUp doesn't have a chemical odor... maybe it was some other sort of herbicide; some do have an odor.
Maybe they looked at all that wisteria and thought it was just much easier to spray it.?
strange.

It is certainly a chemical burn; but does not look like herbicide. So long as the fruits are not burned or discolored, I would think it safe to eat them.

The spots look like damage that 2-4-D might cause. That is a common weed killer herbicide ingredient. It also has a chemical smell.

I do think they have been taking care of the weeds, so that's a possibility. Seems like lately they've been doing quite a bit to spruce up the yard. Thanks for the suggestion of 2,4-D! It smelled really bad, and it was a nice sunny weekend, the kind that always gets you out to do yardwork.

2-4-D damage on Meyer leaves is bright yellow; I see it quite often when my people are not careful enough with the application. The damage is also almost always on leaves near the ground, because that is where you normally apply 2-4-D.

Sadly it sounds like something my neighbors would do on purpose. I would go have a talk with them to make sure it won't happen again.

I browsed online to read about herbicide leaf damage. I came across something called Paraquat that only damages what it contacts.

Does anyone know if it has a strong odor and may have caused the damage?

ETA--> just read more about paraquat, yikes that sounds bad! Hope that's not what they sprayed.

This post was edited by melle_sacto on Fri, Apr 4, 14 at 21:57

Paraquat is the same; it is bright yellow on Meyers. Your damage is chemical; but it does NOT appear to be herbicide.... Not important, get over it and move on; but please talk to your neighbor... that is what neighbors do

Does the damage remain bright yellow, even weeks later? I took this photo today but the incident was a few weeks ago

The leaves will not recover they are damaged looks like they sprayed 80% of your tree from the picture. I would 911 talk to them if it was me I would be so pissed off so they might have to call 911 to me when i went over LOL. But talk to them ask them what they did and get your vine under controil and move on. Your tree will grow new leafs and recover but the damaged leafs are demaged no repairing them sad to say.
Trace

A few years ago my neighbor's mother-in-law sprayed my Meyer with the poison ivy killer. Killed all my muscadines. I had not let my muscadines fruit for 5 years. That year was the first time and they were loaded with clusters. I caught her spraying and the overflow got my muscadines and Meyer.

My Meyer recouped. Before spray it would flush twice a year. After spray it is ever bearing. I thought I was going to lose it. Meyer was at least 10 years old at that time. All fruit aborted that year, and little fruit since until this year. It appears back to normal. This was about 3 years ago.