The aim of the study was to identify ways of forming of the main skeletal axes (MSA) in shrub and semi-shrub life forms. We identified 4 organization types of the MSA based on the nature of their accreting, the structure and degree of generative shoots participation in their formation. Type I – the MSA are formed as a result of sympodial accreting on the basis of generative shoots, both with apical and axillary inflorescences. Type II – the MSA are formed as a result of monopodial accreting changing to sympodial accreting and consist of vegetative and generative shoots. Type III – the MSA accrete monopodially and consist only of vegetative shoots or even of generative shoots with axillary inflorescences. Type IV – the MSA accrete sympodially and consist only of vegetative shoots or also of generative shoots with axillary inflorescences. Semi-shrub life forms have types I and II of organization of the main skeletal axes, shrubs – all four. Difficulties with the determination of life forms in species of types I and II are due to the influence of growing conditions on the degree of death of generative shoots. V.N. Golubev (1968) erroneously classified creeping woody monopodial errating dwarf shrubs as dwarf semi-shrubs, which is due to the emphasis not on long-term growing skeletal axes, but on annually dying off herbaceous elongated orthotropic generative shoots.